RAW-SILK. 



11 



No. 1. 



(C.) 



Extract Letter from the Court of Directors to i^^*^''* ''^ 



*^ Bengal, 



the Governor-gejieral in Council, Bengal, dated sojan. isos. 

 20M January 1808. 



The systematic rigour with which the decrees 

 of the enemy, interdicting all commercial inter- 

 course between Great Britain and the Continent, 

 are now enforced, has occasioned anentire cessation 

 of the customary importations of Italian raw-silk 

 into this country ; it has become, therefore, matter 

 of great moment, under this deficiency, that the 

 manufacturers should derive as great assistance as 

 possible from improved and augmented supplies 

 of that article from Bengal. We consequently 

 enjoin you to employ every effort to provide the 

 entire quantity of four thousand bales, ordered in 

 our letter dated 29th May 1807 ; and in order to 

 effect fully this provision, we direct that, in case 

 of deficiency of funds, you transfer to the silk 

 investment any amount from the appropriation to 

 the supply of Bengal or Coast piece-goods, which 

 may be requisite to complete it. But, in con- 

 sideration of the altered proportion of the demand 

 for the different descriptions occasioned by the 

 failure of the Italian imports, we desire that the 

 limited indent for the Bengal wound silk {viz. five 

 hundred bales) be on no account exceeded, and 



that 



