Page:History of the Indian Archipelago Vol 3.djvu/534

 518 DESCRIPTION OF The use of silk was introduced, as mentioned in another place, not by the Chinese, but by the Hindus, as is testified on philological evidence. This fact seeras to prove, that the intercourse with the country of the Hindus was of earlier date than that with China. No attempt has ever been made in these islands to cultivate the mulberry, or pro- pagate the silk-worm, although the manufacture of raw silk seems a branch of industry peculiarly well suited to the character of the natives, and to the fertility of the soil. Ojnum, in all ages of the European intercourse with the Indian Islands, has been a considerable article of importation, and is at present a very great one. From its Arabian name, although I am not aware of any direct authority in favour of the supposition, I think it highly probable that the Arabs taught the use of it, and imported it before Europeans had any direct intercourse with India. Until the last few years, the whole consumption of the Archipelago was supplied by Bengal. There has been a great revolution in this branch of trade, in common with almost every other, in consequence of the trade of the Americans, and the enlarge- ment of the British trade, and a considerable quan- tity of the consumption of the islands comes now from Turkey and Mahva. The natural cost of a chest of Bengal opium, which usually weighs about 140 lbs. avoirdupois, is calculated to be about