SOME REMARKS UPON SHELLAC. 207 



eent. of resin alone, with varying quantities of colouring matter. When 

 not carefully prepared, a quantity of sand is often present, which deteriorates 

 the lac, and depreciates its value when used for varnishes, &c. 



For about two years there has been a steady, but most unaccountable, 

 rise in the price of all descriptions of lac. Thus, in October, 1858, the 

 price in the London market, as well as in Liverpool, was 82s. per cwt- 

 During the same month in 1859 it reached 123s. per cwt., and in October, 

 1860, it sold in the same market at 260s. per cwt. ; while in both the 

 enormous price of £14 was obtained in December. At first sight, 

 one is very apt to consider such extreme prices the result of specula- 

 tion, but I have ascertained the last quotation from Calcutta — I mean 

 in the market there — to be 57 rupees per maund. There are, I understand, 

 3 maunds to every 2 cwt., or a maund and a half to each 112 lbs.* ; so, 

 allowing each rupee to be worth 2s. of British currency, we have the cost 

 in India before shipment as £8 lis. The estimated expense of freight, &c, 

 may be roughly stated as £2, which brings up the price on landing to 

 £10 lis. This appears a very good margin for the importers. But it is 

 said on pretty good authority that there are not at present fifty chests of 

 really good, fine, orange shellac to be got in London. If this be correct, 

 then the difference given above, between the net value as imported and the 

 price realised here, is not to be wondered at, nor can it be called excessive. 

 It might, however, very naturally be asked, what is really the cause of such 

 high prices and such scarcity ? The most feasible reason, and I believe the 

 true one, is, that the native forests where lac has hitherto been found in 

 such abundance, have suffered so dreadfully from the ravages and devasta- 

 tion of war, that the native collectors have failed entirely in obtaining 

 supplies of the raw material. Now this is highly probable, for we know 

 that some of the largest lac factories are on the banks of the Ganges ; but 

 then in more peaceful districts this reason cannot be considered tenable. I 

 am somewhat inclined to suppose that there is really a natural scarcity in 

 the jungle of the little lac-producing insect, and that these two causes, 

 operating together, have brought about the present state of matters. One 

 very incomprehensible thing is, that the prices of lac dye have not risen, 

 and that there is a plentiful supply of this article in the market. This, of 

 course, can only be accounted for in two ways — either, that the supply 

 meets the demand, or that very large quantities have been stored up before 

 the scarcity of lac began. 



The quantity of all kinds of gum lac exported from Calcutta annually 

 about eight years ago was supposed to be about 1,800 tons, while, in 1858, 

 it fell to about 700 tons, in 1859 about a fourth less, while during the 

 present year the quantity has considerably increased. But in November, 

 1858, the stocks on hand in London and Liverpool were 3,959 chests and 

 bags ; same month in 1859, 1,316, and in November, 1860, 1,345. Of these 



* The factory maund of India is about 74 lbs. 10 oz., and the bazaar maund 82 lbs. 

 —Editor. 



