The Sun.
London, England, 1854-03-23 00:00:00

THE SOCIETY OF ARTS.

At the usual weekly meeting of the society last night,
Dr. Buist, of Bombay, read an interesting paper on some
of the undeveloped resources of India. As examples of
what could be accomplished in that country, he referred
to the articles of indigo, cotton, and gutta percha. The
culture of indigo in Bengal hardly covered its own ex-
penses in 1778, and now the annual value exported was
1,717,883/. In 1788 cotton was first imported into this
country from India, and in 1814, when the company
monopoly was relaxed, the supply sent to us thence was
4,000, 000 lb. whereas now it averaged from 160,000, 0001 b.
to 170,00,00001 b. per annum, for the cultivation of
which an area of 8,000 square miles was required. The
demand for gutta percha had only arisen in 1847, yet it
had already increased to such an extent as to threaten in
a few years to extinguish the supply unless new sources
for obtaining it were opened up. Dr. Buist also referred
to the increasing export of oil seeds, that of linseed alone
to England amounting to the value of 40,0001. from
the single port of Bombay. He considers, however,
that the chief resources of India as a field for produc-
tive enterprise are to be found in the enormous mass of
untutored and unemployed labour at our disposal there.
The three things most required in the country were—
first, to open it up by roads and railways ; secondly, to
develope its fertility by irrigation and improved culture ;
and, thirdly, to teach the native population gradually
habits of self-reliance. In the construction of railway
works they had shown extraordinary aptitude, and
though only 22 miles of rail were as yet in use, on
them it was expected that the gross traffic returns for
the first year would yield 11 per cent. Deducting 50
cont. for working charges, there would be 54 per cent.
available for dividend before any goods traffic had come
upon the line. Seven years had been employed in
writing about this fragment of a line, and it had
been completed in one working season. The con-
sulting engineer of the Government allowed 15,0001. per
mile for its construction, and it had only cost 7,0001.
per mile. 13 years had elapsed since Vignolles had re-
commended a general railway system for India, and only
22 miles were constructed. At the present rate of pro-
gress, it had been calculated that 40 years would be re-
quired to open up the cotton country, and two centuries
to supply India with the railway accommodation which
the continental countries of Europe already possessed.
Dr. Buist proceeded to show in a similar manner the
necessity which existed for works of irrigation, the con-
struction of which, so far as they had hitherto been car-
ried on by Government, had been immensely remunera-
tive. The last part of the paper was devoted to pointing
out the importance of providing for the native populations
the means.of instruction in the useful branches of know-
ledge. To show what had been done in this direction,
Dr. Buist referred to the Engineering College at Roor-
kee, the Museum of Economic Geology at Calcutta,
and the Economic Museum and School of Indus-
try at Madras. He also described the efforts
made in the cause of instruction at Bombay,
though these do not hitherto appear to have met with
much encouragement. A year ago Sir Jamsetjee
Jejeebhoy had offered to the Government a sum of
10,0001. for the endow.nent of a School of Industry, and
Dr. Buist justly complains that this magnificent offer,
which death might at any moment cancel, is still under
consideration. Finally, with reference to the present
state of the paper market from the scarcity of rags, Dr.
Buist points out that in India short staple flax and
cotton, almost worthless for the purposes of ordinary
manufacture, exist to any amount, with cheap, neat-
handed, and ingenious workmen, abundance of pure
water, smokeless skies, and sunshine of unsurpassable
brightness—all the means, in short, of supplying the
world with paper if the art of making it was once intro-
duced. A discussion followed the reading of the lecture
by Mr. L. Neve Forster, the secretary, in which Mr.
Frith, Mr. NPLachlan, Mr. Dilke, Mr. Bird, who oc-
cupied the chair, Mr. Wilson, of Price's Patent Candle
Company, Mr. Twining, and others, joined. The pro-
ceedings terminated with a vote of thanks to Dr. Buist.

THE THAMES EMBANKMENT.—Yesterday her Majesty's
Commissioners of Public Works commenced the first
portion of the embankment of the Thames, on the north
or Middlesex shore, at Chelsea, and the construction of
the approaches thereto and to the suspension bridge to
cross the Thames, to the new Park at Battersea. A
number of houses in Wilderness-row and King's-road,
including that well-known mansion called Clarence
House, will be pulled down to carry out this great pub-
lic improvement. It is intended to form an embank-
ment on the north side of the Thames, from Vauxhall
to Battersea, and a promenade and carriage-drive for the
use of the public.