INDIGO. 41 



gree that island mav have suiFered from the cala- better to 



. . . . " . Bengal, 



mities to which it has been since exposed. Indigo 27 July 1796. 

 was one of its staple articles ; and although the 

 culture was rather upon the decline, yet in 1789 

 it yielded little short of a million of pounds per 

 annum. It is by no means improbable a very 

 considerable quantity, and perhaps even the whole 

 of this, may have failed. How far this conjecture 

 may prove well founded, or if so, whether there is 

 any prospect of the island regaining its former 

 commercial consequence, time only can discover. 

 Admitting, however, the increased demand to be 

 reckoned upon as permanent, it is obvious the 

 consignments from Bengal must, for some period 

 to come, be very considerably abridged. Upon 

 the scale of one million for home consumption, 

 and a million and a half for exportation, it will be 

 seen that one half of this quantum has been an- 

 nually drawn from America and Spain, and that 

 except any inroads can be made upon these power- 

 ful opponents, Bengal can only calculate upon th» 

 remaining moiety ; and even the chance of this 

 will become very seriously endangered, unless the 

 utmost attention is paid to the quality. 



21. A proper assortment of indigo for the gene- 

 ral demand should consist of about equal propor- 

 tions of fine, middling, and ordinary. The fine 

 has hitherto been almost exclusively furnished by 

 Spain, who have always been remarkably attentive 

 as to quality ; and it is with regret we perceive, 



they 



