In a Kipling story, a young man boasts of raising cotton
in Africa:
"Rubber -nuts -gums -and so on," he said. "But our real future is cotton. I grew fifty acres of it last year in my District."

"My District!" said his father. "Hear him, Mummy!"

"I did though! I wish I could show you the sample. Some Manchester chaps said it was as good as any Sea Island cotton on the market."

Sea Island is a variety of cotton prized for its long fibres.