INDIGO. 



25 



121. It affords us much pleasure to remark, Letter to 



... . . Bengal, 



that the article, as to quality, is still increasing in 3o May 1792. 

 reputation. It has already surpassed the Ameri- 

 can and French, and there is no doubt but by 

 perseverance and attention on the part of the 

 planters, it will effectually rival the Spanish. A 

 parcel of five chests, per Prince William Hmry^ 

 belonging to Messrs. Gilchrist and Charters, was 

 declared to be superior to Spanish, and sold at a 

 higher rate. The buyers deemed it to be pos- 

 sessed of every requisite that could be wished. 

 The twenty-one chests by the same ship, belonging 

 to Mr. Gervais Robinson, were also of a quality 

 nearly equal. It will no doubt be highly flatter- 

 ing to those gentlemen, to learn that their manu- 

 factures have obtained so decided a preference. 

 Messrs. Perreau and Stephenson's, and Mr. William 

 Orby Hunter's parcels, have also been well spoken 

 of ; nor are the others without a proportionate 

 degree of merit. The prices denote, as we have 

 before remarked, a general improvement : we 

 have selected these parcels, therefore, only with 

 a view to excite an emulation in the planters, and 

 to engage them in the laudable contention of who 

 shall best succeed in bringing the article to its 

 greatest possible degree of perfection. 



122. We have been able to obtain from the 

 Custom-house books, an account of the quantities 

 of indigo imported into this country, and from 

 what parts, for the last ten years, which is as 

 follows 



