DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.2374#0548
Jan. 8—10.
MYSORE, CANARA, AND MALABAR. 535
Company. Mr. Brown, who then traded at Make as Danish resi- CHAPTER
dent, very judiciously recommended to Mr. Farmer, one of the
commissioners, that the Company should confine their trade in
pepper within as small a compass as possible ; and, in place of en-
deavouring to get it at a lower rate than the market price at MahS,
that they should always give a little more for what they took ; and
by that means they would not only enrich the province, but increase
their revenues. Measures, however, were taken directly in oppo-
sition to this sound advice, and, by means of the sovereign autho-
rity vested in their servants, the Company procured a small quan-
tity of pepper at a rate considerably lower than the Make price;
but by far the greater part went to that market, and at a lower
price than if the Company had gone into a fair competition. A
third change has now taken place. The French having been ex-
pelled from MahS, the Company became immediately possessed of
the whole pepper trade without a rival. As merchants, it was then
their interest to lower the price, which was undoubtedly in their
power; but as sovereigns their interest was, that the price should
not be so low as to injure the revenue, or to discourage agriculture.
Mr. Brown thinks that, both considerations being held in view,
150 Rupees would have been a fair price. Immediately before the
capture of Make, in July 1793, in order to complete the loading of
a ship, the price given for pepper had risen to 220 Rupees; and,
most unaccountably, Mr. Agnew, the commercial resident at Cali-
cut, without attending to the necessary consequences of that event,
in tbe following season contracted for 4000 Candies at 200 Rupees.
The price, however, as was naturally expected, has gradually fallen;
and this year, owing to the Company making no purchases, it is
much to be regretted that it has sunk to 120 Rupees, which is too
low to enable the cultivator to thrive, and to discharge the re-
venue, while he is subject to the present monopoly of native
contractors.