1847-49.] DISCUSSION OF DE. WIGHT AND ME. FIWKIE. 141 



matters, together with some others, are worthy of being 

 briefly narrated. 



Mr. Finnie convinced of the folly of cultivating 211 

 American Cotton in India: Dr. Wight recommends 

 his removal.— In 1847, Dr. Wight was informed that 

 two of the American Planters, who had Dr Wight's 

 returned to England from India, had re- letter, 26th 

 ported that American Cotton could only Pari'. Return 

 be grown in peculiar climates, such as (1857), p. 164 

 I those of Dharwar and Coimbatore. Accordingly, he 

 represented this fact to the Madras Grovernment, de- 

 claring it to be a mere hypothetical deduction, based 

 i on an imperfect acquaintance with the climates of 

 I India ; adding however that he should have considered 

 the judgment of no importance, had he not discovered 

 that Dr. E-oyle had adopted a similar view ; and had 

 : not Mr. Finnie fallen into the same error, and actually 

 s stated in a note, that " he believed he might almost 

 [■undertake to eat all the American Cotton that would 

 j be produced at Aroopoocottah." Accordingly, about 

 three weeks afterwards, Mr. Finnie com- Mr. Fhmie's 

 plained to the Madras Grovernment, that letter, i6th 

 Dr. Wight had accused the American pari.' Return 

 Planters of forming a "conspiracy," for (iS57),p.278. 

 the purpose of discouraging the British public from 

 persevering in the cultivation of American Cotton. 

 -The Madras Grovernment however stated in reply that 

 no such communication had been received from Dr. 

 . "Wight. Meantime Mr. Finnie seems to have flavoured 

 s his official correspondence with frequent sneers at Dr. 

 j Wight's proceedings ; and on one occasion, in an official 

 application to Dr. Wight for some Ameri- D r> Wight's 

 i can seed, he stated that he was " more and letter, 2nd 

 - more convinced of the folly of trying to PaS? Return 

 i make this country (India) produce Ameri- (I857),p.i8i. 

 can Cotton." In reporting this statement to Grovern- 

 ment, Dr. Wight pointed out that it involved a grave 

 error. If the expression referred to India generally, it 

 : was altogether incorrect ; and if it were even limited 

 to Tinnevelly and Madura, still it was contradicted by 

 ; the fact that good field-grown American Cotton had 



