1805.] 
If the fabititites for fea-falt he equiva- 
lent to the exportation of that {alr, it will 
require’a population of 32,228,989 per- 
, fons to confume 35,31,944 maunds of 
falt. 
sth. From what has been ftated as the 
daily confumption of a family, an average 
of: nine maunds a-head arifes for the an- 
nual confumption of grain. The ule of 
wheat and barley in fome provinces will 
not affe& the calculation, but millet and 
other {mall grains, which conttitute the 
principal food of the poor, and which are 
mot equally fiourifhing with white corn, 
will increafe the average. 
Several forts of pulfe are grown for 
cattle, but bear a {mall proportion to the 
general tillage ; for the cattle are moftly 
fupported on paftures and on ftraw. 
Corn is imported from feveral of the 
countries which border en Bengal ; but 
the exportation from Bengal exceeds the 
import ; we therefore eitimaie the pro- 
duce, from the coniumption of the fup- 
pofed population, at' 270 millions of 
maunds; and at 300 millions after adding 
grain for caitle ; to this add a feventh for 
feed referved, and the whole produce in 
grain will be 34,28,57,140 maunds,—a 
very moderate produce for the tillage efti- 
mated at 9,47577,797 begahs. 
But the Indian hufbindry mixing in 
the fame field with corn other articles of a 
very different nature, to compare the pro- 
duce to the quantity of land, every article 
moult be included in the computation, and 
for that purpofe the grain muft be ftated 
at its money value, which we take from 
the average of many inquiries, in which 
the cheapeft-and ° deareft Provence’ have 
been confidered. 
1 5;00,00,000 Satie of Rupees. 
rice, wheat, and bar- 
ley, at r2 annas, . - £1,25,00,000 
$,00,00,000 maunds of ; 
_millet, &c. at 8 aonas, 
g,00,00,000 maunds of 
pulfe, at ro annas; . 
3,00,;00,0¢60 
§,62,50,000 
39,87;50,000 
4,30,00,000 maunds of 
feed relerved; . s « 2,83,80,000 
22571,30,;000 
Mnleeeds, 990 VO.) ) -923000;000 
Sugar, tobacco, cotton, 
Bic ee re ten. de! (FO;GOO,A0S 
Surdriés,.- 2° » » + 20,000,000 
329,130,000 
—— neal 
Grofs produce of land, 
On the Population of Bengal. _ 446 
which is more than fevyen* rents, if the 
rents have been well eftimated at rupees 
42,452,817, and a produce of three ru- 
pees and a half a begah on the tillage, efti- 
mated at 94,777,797. Ina fubfequent in- 
quiry we fhall have occafion to fhew this a 
very moderate produce in proportion te 
the expence of hufbandry. 
The fpeculations in which we have now 
indulged, cannot avail to determine accu- 
rately the population of thefe provinces, 
but make it probable that-it has been un- 
der-rated. It is undoubtedly adequate to 
undertake greater tillage, and more nume- 
rous and extenfive manufaétures, than now 
employ the labour of our Affatic fubjects ; 
but, wanting a vent for their produce, 
they have no inducement for greater in- 
duftry. If more produce were obtained, 
its market being barred, induftry would 
be unrewarded. The neceffaries of life 
are cheap, the mode of living fmple ; and, 
though the price of labour be low, a fub- 
fiftence may be earned without the unin- 
terrupted application of induftry. Often 
idle, the peafant and manufacturer may 
neverthelefs fubfit. A few individuals 
might indeed acquire wealth by diligent 
application; but the nation at large, 
docmed to poverty by commercial limira- 
* The grofs payments of the hufbandmen 
are greater 5 probably not lefs than the 
fourth of the grofs produce : 
fidered under the latter adminiftration of the 
native government as thejuft due. Another 
occafion will occur of examining this fubject 
more fully, and explaining the appropriations 
of the grofs collections... The difference, 
though it break the confiftency of the argu- 
ment, is in favour of the moderation of our 
eftimate. it is explained by the circumftance 
of the afcertainment before quoted, having 
been made in a diftri@ where the net revenue 
bears a very large proportion to the grofs col- 
leétions, and where the hufbandmen are efti- 
mated on the rental to pay a feventh only.— 
The net revenue bears alefs proportion tothe 
grofs revenue in moft diftri€ts ; and in thefe 
the peafants pay more thana fourth. This 
does rot afic€t the computation ; for had we 
ufed materials obtained from diftriéts where 
the grofs payments were greater in proportion 
tothe net revenue, or had we included all 
the payments not brought on the rental, the 
average payment of each tenant would be 
found proportionably higher. In fome the 
hufbandmen pay more than a fourth of their 
grofs produce 5; in others they nominally 
pay more than half. On the other hand, in 
frontier diftri¢ts, particularly on the eftates 
held upon Ghativali tenure, they pay leis 
than a feventh. . 
tions, 
which was con-. 
