and the Processes used for Dyeing Silk and Cotidn. ^\ 



number of handkerchiefs, according to their width. They 

 are also of three degrees of fineness. 



The weavers of this class are poor, and say that they can- 

 not aflford to make the cloth on their own account. They 

 in general receive the thread from the women in the 

 neighbourhood, and work it up into cloth for hire. For 

 weaving a piece that is worth Sfujiams, or 5s. 4iJ., they 

 get e^fanamSy or is. 8d. This occupies a workman four or 

 five days ; «o that his daily gains are from four to five pence. 

 They never cultivate the ground. 



The luhalliaru make a coarse, white, strong cloth called 

 parcaUa. It serves the poorer male inhabitants, throughout 

 the country, as a covering for the upper parts of their bodies. 

 The pieces are from 24 to 28 cubits long, and from 1-^ to 

 1^ broad, and as usual of three different degrees of fineness. 

 Weavers of this kind live scattered in the villages, and fre- 

 quently hire themselves out as day-labourers to farmers, or 

 other persons who will give them employment. 



At the weekly markets the cotton wool is bought up, in 

 small quantities, by the poor women of all casts, except the 

 Brahmans ; for these never spin, nor do their husbands ever 

 plough the soil. The women of all other casts spin, and at 

 the weekly markets sell to the weavers the thread that is not 

 wanted for family use. The thread that is brought from 

 Balahari, and other places toward the Krishna, is much 

 coarser than that which the women here spin. 



Such is the account given me by the various weavers ; 

 but the cloth agents, who are ail of a cast called Nagarity 

 say, that it is not customary to make advances for goods of 

 an ordinary kind, unless the demand from a distance be very 

 great. When this is the case, or when goods of an un- 

 commonly high price are wanted, in order to enable the 

 manufacturer to purchase the raw materials, one half of the 

 value is advanced. The credit is for three months, and for 

 this time there is no interest paid ; but if the goods are not 

 then delivered, monthly interest is demanded at the rate of 

 I per cent, until the contract is fulfilled. The commission 

 here on the purchase of goods is. only two per cent., and the 

 agent is answerable for all the suras advanced to the weavers, 

 8 On 



