C 167 ) 





CHAP. XVII. 



AGRICULTURE. — COTTON. 



npHIS most valuable plant has now become of 

 more importance to Pernambuco even than 

 the sugar-cane, owing to the great demand for 

 the cotton of that province, and of those ad- 

 joining to it, in the British markets. New 

 establishments are forming yearly for the culti- 

 vation of the cotton-plant, notwithstanding the 

 great inconveniencies which must often be expe- 

 rienced in accomplishing this object. The dis- 

 tricts which are chosen for the purpose, and uni- 

 versally allowed to be the best adapted to its 

 growth, are far removed from the sea-coast, arid, 

 and oftentimes very scantily supplied with fresh 

 water. Absolute distress is felt from a want of 

 water in some of these situations, at the time 

 that other parts of the country are enjoying 

 perfect ease in this respect. The opinion is very 

 general that the cotton-plant will not thrive in 

 the neighbourhood of the coast*, and that i're- 



* I have seen some fine cotton shrubs at the distance of 

 one or two leagues, and even less, from the sea-coast ; but 

 the attempts that have been made to cultivate it to any ex- 

 tent in such situations, have not, from what I have seen and 



M 4} 



