iv 



REPORT ON 



Report. The principal fault in the Bengal raw-silk was 

 its inequality in the same skein. It was common 

 to find part single, part double, treble, and in 

 many instances even quadruple. The mode of 

 assortment was also much neglected ; and into 

 such disrepute had the article fallen, that the 

 Court of Directors informed the Bengal Govern- 

 ment, that unless the defects could be rectified, 

 the Company must abandon the exportation of it 

 to England. 



Notwithstanding, however, the animadversions 

 of the Court, the quality of the successive impor- 

 tations of silks did not improve. This, as might 

 be expected, caused occasional dissatisfaction and 

 complaints among those concerned in the trade 

 and manufacture of the article in England, and 

 the Court were consequently induced, in the year 

 1757, to send out to Bengal Mr. Richard Wilder, a 

 gentleman who had the reputation of being per- 

 fectly acquainted with the culture and preparation 

 of silk in every stage, having been conversant with 

 the subject during his whole life. The object of 

 his mission was to examine into the causes of the 

 defective quality of Bengal raw-silk ; for which 

 purpose he was directed to proceed to Cossim- 

 buzar (at that time the Company's chief factory in 



Ben gal J 



