The French, English, and Dutch have endeavoured to imitate these articles; but, notwithstanding all their labour and art, they have never yet been able either to produce these colours from the vegetable kingdom, or to attain to the same fineness in their cloth. No person in Turkey, Persia or Europe has yet imitated the _Betille_[222], made at _Masulipatan_, and known under the name of _Organdi_. The manufacturing of this cloth, which was known in the time of Job, the painting of it, and the preparation of the colours, give employment in India to male and female, young and old. It may with truth be asserted, that in spinning, weaving, and dyeing, the Indians excel all other nations in the world. A great deal of cotton is brought from Arabia and Persia, and mixed with that of India. The principal places where it is manufactured are: _Bengal_, _Masulipatan_, _Paleacate_, _Madras_, _Sadras_, _Pondicherry_, _Naur_, _Nagapatnam_, _Paleamcotta_, _Tutucuri_, _Manapar_, and _Tiruvancoda_. The Indians work slowly and unwillingly; a fault which is of great benefit to the Europeans. Were they more active and industrious, they would inundate our quarter of the world with their merchandize, and draw from us the little money still in circulation. We clothe ourselves in their stuffs, while our woollen cloths are to them unnecessary. On the contrary, we must pay money for all the goods which we procure from India and China; so that these two countries may be compared to two pits, in which we stand with both feet and still sink deeper[223]. Pliny in ancient times complained of the luxury of his countrymen[224], who procured similar articles from the island of _Taprobane_, now called Ceylon; but what would he say were he now alive and beheld our extravagance[225]? Wo to the people who are not contented with the productions of their native country! CHAPTER XI. _Medicine and Botany of the Indians._