IMPORTANCE OF COMMERCE TO INDIA. 
265 
banks of the rivers, or on islands in them, 
overflown during the height of the rainy sea- 
son. This seems to be the same description 
of soil as that on which the Sea Island cotton 
of America is grown.* 
The Burmese use the cotton seed exten- 
sively for lights, particularly in the open air, 
at their dances and entertainments. Two or 
three lbs. of the seed with some earth oil are 
put into a vessel, usually a broken cooking 
pot, and when lighted they give for several 
hours a good large flame. 
We have no space to continue the subject 
in our present number, but shall resume it 
in our next. 
Art. V. — Bell’s Comparative View of the 
External Commerce of Bengal, during 
theyears 1834-35, and 1835-36, accom- 
panied with tables, illustrative of the 
extent of trade carried on with each 
country and state, by John Bell, 
Superintendent of Inspectors, Sfc. Royal 
Octavo, pp. 106, 1836. Baptist Mis- 
sion Press, 
Works of this nature are seldom examined 
by readers beyond the mercantile sphere ; 
but when we reflect that the country which 
gave the British sojourner birth owes her 
opulence and grandeur, her improvements in 
arts and knowledge, the great bulk of her 
comforts and convenience, to the instru- 
mentality of commerce alone, some enquiry 
into its causes and resources is not un- 
worthy the attention of the man of science. 
That we may escape the charge of imparting 
an erroneous view in laying down the fore- 
going proposition, we would advert simply 
to one of the most interesting works that can 
be perused and which is devoted to this 
subject we mean that celebrated work ; “on 
the Historical and Chronological Deduction 
of the Origin of Commerce.” Vast and vari- 
ous are the subjects which are connected 
with commerce, comprehending discoveries, 
inventions, improvements, navigation, coloni- 
zation, manufactures, agriculture, as well as 
* The finest tobacco in Ava is cultivated at a 
place called Nga-myo-gyee, a little above 
Yaudaboo, on islands and on the bank of the Ira- 
■waddy, on ground always overflown during 
the rainy season. 
their relative arts and sciences. Although we 
do not anticipate so great a feast in Mr. Bell’s 
Comparative 'View of the External Commerce 
of Bengal, still we take up his work, with the 
conviction that nothing less than the instru- 
mentality of commerce can enrich British In" 
dia. Those things which are useful and ex- 
cellent in nature or art, especially for intel- 
lectual gratifications, for comfort conveni- 
ence, or the elegance of life, it must be ac- 
knowledged, are principally derived from 
commerce, either primarily or mediately. It 
is profitable therefore to convey to our readers 
those notices and instructions on commercial 
questions which are connected with this 
country. Mr. Bell’s work appears annually. 
He congratulates the mercantile community 
onaremarkable extension of trade andimpor- 
tant fiscal alterations which have been effected 
since his last annual. He places the laurel on 
the brow of the Honourable Mr. Ross for the 
bold measure of releasing the upper provinces 
from the thraldom to which the country was 
rendered subservient by the mischievous ef- 
fects of the transit system, and which “ was 
only surpassed by the act for their subsequent 
abolition under this presidency, followed, as 
that step was, by the downfall of the town 
duties.” The foregoing is a degree of 
praise altogether misplaced. We are ready to 
give Mr. Bell due credit for the sincerity of 
his feelings ; but we can assure him that it 
required no boldness on the part of Mr. 
Ross to do what he did ; nor was it any great 
merit on that of the Supreme Government 
to follow up what the Hon’ble the Governor 
of Agra had commenced, and which the 
home authorities had more than once ex- 
pressed their desire to see effected. In 
a letter to the Governor General dated 10th 
June 1829, the court observe, “with 
respect to the transit or inland duties on 
commerce, you are not unapprized of the 
weight we have long attached to the objec- 
tions against them.” The court considered 
it so complex and burthensome a system 
that in a letter dated January 1830, they 
again direct attention to the propriety of 
abolishing all internal duties under what- 
ever name collected: they declare “we 
hardly anticipate any possible objections on 
your part.” Under this view of the state 
