166 



On East Indian Isinglass. 



James Cockburn and Co., relative to the above experimental 

 investment, due allowance being made for the prejudice of 

 brokers and consumers. Their first letter on this subject 

 is dated 4th May 1840, in which they say, " Isinglass advised 

 is a new article from your quarter. We shall have great 

 pleasure in doing all in our power to have it well shewn, 

 and to obtain the highest value for it, as we cannot but feel 

 an interest in the introduction of a new article of import." 

 In their second letter, dated 31st October 1840, they en- 

 close the opinion of different brewers as to its value. 



Truman, Hanbury, Buxton and Co. state, that the sample 

 submitted to them was not sweet, and that if it were so, it 

 would be worth 3s. to 4s. 6d. per lb. if it yielded well in 

 testing, but they add, Isinglass is a very difficult article to 

 judge of by appearance only. Messrs. Cockburn and Co. 

 therefore enjoin greater care in cleaning, and state, that if 

 put up in the manner of Russian Isinglass, it would com- 

 mand at least 4s. to 5s. per lb., and they enclosed in 

 their letter a piece of Russian Isinglass worth 12s. per lb. 

 to which our own appeared in every respect equal in 

 quality. The only difference appeared to be in size ; the 

 Russian staple weighed only about an ounce, while the 

 Indian varies from six to fourteen ounces, the produce of 

 each fish being so much in favour of the latter ; the nature 

 and properties, texture, and structure of both being econo- 

 mically and chemically the same. 



The third letter of Messrs. Cockburn and Co. to their 

 correspondents in Calcutta, is dated 4th November 1840, 

 two days after the public sale. They state, that they had 

 taken considerable pains to have the Isinglass well shewn, 

 and to obtain the best opinion of its value, and also the 

 probable quantity that could be safely sent to the London 

 market. 



" The first point," they say, " for your friend," (alluding 

 to us,) tc to consider, is to make it up in a state for consump- 



