(the natives of the Malabar coaft) which exceeds not twopence or twopence halfpenny a day, there is no reason to hope that this valuable drug may be in a fhort time afforded from thence at a much smaller expence than it can be had for from the Spanish Main..

That gentleman, ever attentive to whatever can augment the happiness of individuals, or advance the profperity of the ftate, has alfo lately fent over to this country a confiderable quantity of the feeds of the plant, from the roots of which is extracted that beautiful and permanent red dye, with which Indian cottons are fometimes ftained, together with full directions for cultivating it. Thefe feeds, with directions, have been fent to different perfons in the West Indies, and in this country, who are the most likely to give it a fain trial. When the refult of these trials are known, they fhall be communicated to our readers. The plant is called by the natives, Che, or Chay. Its botanical name, according to the Linnæan fyftem, is Oldenlandia Umbellata.

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Our limits forbid us at prefent to enter more fully into the other patriotic exertions of this worthy and refpectable member of fociety; but we cannot deny our readers the fatisfaction they will derive from the perufal of the following letter, which difcovers at once the liberal views, and the warm beneficence of heart of Dr Anderfon. May his patriotic exertions be crowned with fuccefs !

To the Honourable John Hollond, Efq. Prefident and Governor, &c. Council.

Hon. Sir and Sirs,

YOUR ready acquiefcence to the importation, of valuable plants, will enable me to derive advantage from the refearches of the Afiatic fociety, by the hopes 1 entertain, that you will folicit the fupreme board for plants of the Mahwah tree, fo certainly supplying food in hot countries, as defcribed by Lieutenant Charles Hamilton, a Member of that fociety,

In this country the Materia Medica extends to the bark, of every tree, and is the principal cause of our want of timber, almost every tree being ftripped of its bark at an early period by the natives, either for themfelves, or on purpose to cure the difeafes of cattle; and it must be allowed, that

many of them are ufeful in this view, fuch as the Melias' fome Mimofas, the Genus Ficus, and Caffia. Perhaps the euftom of living in clay houfes has prevented them feeing much difadvantage in the want of timber. Thatch, in moft common use, of Andropogon Nardus, is light and easily fupported, rendering large timbers as beams of houses, unneceffary.

But it may be confidered, that the honourable company are at a very confiderable expence for the Pegu Teak, em ployed in gun carriages and other neceffary works, as well as the Europeans here in house building: nor fhould the unhealthinefs of the clay houfes of the natives in the wet feafon pafs unnoticed, while the true riches of a country is the number of ufeful inhabitants.

It is a diftant profpect to look forward to the growth of trees; but this affords the beft reafon why no time should be loft in beginning to plant them: Some vines I planted here, gave grapes in thirteen months, when they were of fuch a fize, that a native of the territory of Berry affured me, would be deemed the growth of seven years in France: and I am convinced that timber trees come to as much fize and perfection here in twenty years, as the timber trees in England attain in fixty.

Previously however to the planting of trees for timber, it would be well if the head men of every village were advised of the utility of establishing a store of bark of every differént kind of tree, the bark of which is in ufe, that thofe who are in want may be fupplied at a moderate valuation, without expofing all trees promifcuously to be barked.

Another eircumftance in this country merits much attention, being no lefs than the idleness of many of the labourers from the beginning of February, when the crop is gathered in, until the month of Auguft, that the partial showers of the season enable them to fcratch the ground with the fmall unimproved ancient plough.

A fufpenfion of labour for half the year, or even a fhorter time, will occafion a want and disease amongst the lower claffes in any country: and here the extreme wretchednefs that appears in their countenances, marks thofe termed Parajadi another caft, and Teidpu, bafe tribe, moft confpicu ously.

In the Talinga countries, they are called Coolie Tribe, Pariar Tribe, and in general bear a proportion of one to two, or a third of thofe that labour in the field for the cultivation of the crop, and a feventh of the whole inhabitants of the country. They are confidered hereditary flaves to the villages, and their offices, from which they are excluded by an uncharitable fuperftition to a place called the Parcheree, and when troops march through the country, are forced out to carry the baggage of the army. war, attended with famine and peftilence, these men were the first and greatest fufferers.

In the late

A certain ratio is extorted from the country, which is more moderate in the poffeffions of the honourable company than elsewhere, amounting to half the whole produce: let it be confidered however, that this half is always taken without exception; and the reafon will appear how no work is begun or carried on, that requires time and apparatus to accomplish, how moft villages are even without a garden; how none of the palms are to be seen, the fruit of which are fuch defireable objects of food, that they are imported from other countries; how fo little good indigo is made here, where the best indigo plant is a weed; how there is no cotton for exportation, although the manufactory of cloth here. declines; the fugar boiler and collector can never determine who should defray the expence of copper veffels to improve his work; and fields of falt are diffolved and washed away by the rains, because government claims a useless fhare, and the natives want the incitement of a foreign market.

To improve and extend materials for foreign trade, without which these establishments cannot long exift, a certain fubftantial provifion for the labourer should first be devifed, as the drynefs of some seasons does not even afford a fufficient fupply of rice.

It is therefore neceffary for the villages to be indulged in laying out the dry ground near them in inclofures, where they might cultivate yams, potatoes, melons, pompions, beans, &c. and fruit trees, for their own ufe, without deduction.

This would enable them to employ the flaves and lower claffes throughout the year, in a healthy and robust state,

Jan 26 for the culture of the great crop, and advantage of the re

venue.

I would recommend that villages be marked out in those parts of the Jaguhire that remain unoccupied fince the late war, where the native penfioners may be permitted to settle at pleasure, exempt from all taxation for at leafst ten years to come, and in the home farms of like defertéd defcription, the wotters, who do all the heavy work of removing earth, may be permitted to fettle with great advantage to Madras.

It gives me much fatisfaction to obferve the directors correfponding on the article of indigo, with men of fuch adequate information as the Lords committee of the privy council for trade, as published in October last by the Honourable the Governor General; and request you will tranfmit the honourable court a small box, filled with the white covering of infects mentioned in my last letter, which I now find to be the covering of an infect, fimilar to the Lac infect, defcribed by Mr. Keir of Patna. I am, &c.

JAMES ANDERSON.

HISTORICAL CHRONICLE.

INTRODUCTION.

A Curfory VIEW of the prefent POLITICAL STATE of EUROPE, continued from page 120.

France.

To a contemplative mind, the fituation of the European nations already mentioned, will afford matter for many ferious reflections. It would feem, as if at prefent there was a general fruggle between error and truth, between light and darknefs: That darkness as yet predominates, though there are fome feeble rays of light beginning to break forth, which give room to hope, that the dawn of that day is approaching, when man fhall think each man he meets his brother, without diftinction of rank, of country or condition; and when the profperity of each fhall be generally known, to depend

upon the welfare of the whole :: But thick is the film that yet overfpreads his eye, and prevents him from receiving that effulgence of light, which is neceffary to enable him, diftinctly to know his real intereft. The happy æra we wifh for will not arrive in our day; but we ought to rejoice in the profpect of the empire of knowledge gaining ground perceptibly over that of ignorance.

Perhaps no nation ever afforded a more interesting object for the political fpeculator to contemplate, than that of France at the prefent time, and for a fhort period backwards. Never was there experienced such a great and univerfal revolution in the ideas of a whole people, as has taken place in this country, within a few years paft. Formerly all ranks of men, gloried in fhewing the most profound respect and veneration for the name of royalty; and every thing that was connected with it, was deemed facred. Now, it is the glory of a Frenchman to difregard his fovereign, to trample upon authority, to laugh. at diftinction of ranks, and to mock at legal fubordination. Under the fascinating name of freedom, every breast is warmed with enthufiafm; and many an honest man feriously feems to believe, that under the banners of this bewitching power, nothing is too difficult to be accomplished. Whether they judge wifely in this refpect, time only can fully difcover; but many of the best friends of liberty begin to fear, that by grafping at too much, they may endanger the lofs of the whole; and that by fnatching at the fhadow, they will allow the real object to elude their grafp, which they had once in their own power.

Every man of upright principles and found fenfe, muit wifh well to the cause of freedom; but every man acquainted with the human heart, and the principles of government, is aware of the difficulties that muft ever stand in the way, in an attempt radically to alter the conftitution of any country. When great changes are fuddenly made, the intereft of many individuals must be deeply affected; which will produce fecret difcontents, that, though fuppressed for the time, feldom fail, fooner or later, to produce internal convulfions, that disturb the public tranquility, and often reverse the most beneficient plans of a humane legislature. For these reasons, a prudent man will always behold with anxiety and doubt, that apparent calm, which fucceeds to any violent revolutions in government. The very doubt