138 
CULTURE OF COCHINEAL IN INDIA. 
ture, to the second an additional article of Commerce, and to 
the latter a participation in a lucrative article of Trade, which 
has hitherto been enjoyed unrivalled by a neighboring 
power/' At their recommendation sealed orders were given 
to the captains of some ships proceeding to the Brazils, to 
procure, if possible, some of the real insect, and carry it to 
the coast. 
Dr. Anderson was in the meantime permitted to establish, 
with Dr. Berry placed under him as superintendent, a garden 
to be called the Company's Nopalry, for the cultivation of the 
several kinds of Cactus, on which alone the true Cochineal 
feeds. 
Plants of Cactus were obtained with considerable difficulty. 
One species, extremely common in many parts of India, was 
undervalued as being thought unsuited to the insect. It is 
called by the natives nag-kalli and nag-phunee, and by Dr. 
Roxburgh Cactus indicus, being thought to be indigenous; 
but it was probably introduced by the Portuguese. Plants 
were also obtained from Canton, Manilla, and the isle of 
France, as well as from the Kew Garden. All these four, Dr. 
Anderson states, were alike in appearance. In the course of 
three years, there were not fewer than two thousand Opuntia 
plants in the Hon. Company's Nopalry — all obtained from the 
few Kew plants. Specimens were distributed throughout 
the Presidency, as well as sent to the Botanic Garden at Cal- 
cutta. 
Attention having thus been turned to the subject, the Co- 
chineal insect was obtained by Capt. Neilson, of H. M. 74th 
Regt., on his return to India in June, 1795. When the fleet 
in which he sailed repaired for refreshments to the coast of 
Brazil, Capt. N., in his walks at Rio Janeiro, saw a plantation 
of Opuntias, and obtained several plants with the insect on 
them.* Many of them died during the passage to Bengal ; 
and a few only remained alive on the last plant, of which se- 
* Miscellaneous Communications, by James Anderson, M. D., Ph}'si- 
cian-General, Madras, from March, 1794, to October, 1796. 
