79 
the interment and when they place the body in the 
ground, they take off all the bracelets whichare on their 
arms and legs and bury them with the defunct.” 
Coming to our own days we find that according to 
the Bengal Customs returns the following are the 
declared values of chank shells imported into Calcutta 
during the past five years :— 
TaB_eE showing the value of Imports of Chank Shells into 
Calcutta from 1905 to 1910. 
ae 1905-1906.|1906-1907. 1907-1908. 1908-1909. I909-IQIO. 
1 
RS. RS. RS. Rss RS. 
From Ceylon wel TeAAn772)|) T4o9;250 $6,515 | 1,581,223 | 1,66,060 
From Madras—— | 
Chief port ... iia 1,583 14,435 | 324 2,842 1,648 
Other ports a B2ni72 21,622 |} 265 | 52,399 66,371 
Travancore ... BC 114 See 502 | 3c 500 
Bombay ae a5 6,744 13,730 35822) 4 2,305 4,298 
Motaliiees eS 5s3o5) |) 25393007 96,519 238,769 | 2,38,877 
1 i 
Except in respect of the Ceylon imports the weight 
of the shells unfortunately is not available. 
For Ceylon they are as follows :— 
Approximately. 
Bags. 
1905—06—10,941 Cwt. 1. - see += 65000 
1906-07—I5,125 ,,_ --- 504 Esa £0, 000, 
T9O7—OS——« 7,256 55, ~~ ‘sac es re ==" 45000 
1908-09—15,962 ,, ew slo ee 0550 
IQ0Q-IO—12,480 ,,_... a 28 16,500 
Approximate annual average—6,600 bags of 
250 Shells each. 
For our purpose it is of importance to know the 
number of shells from each producing district ; after 
careful consideration of the comparative statistics given 
above taken in conjunction with information gleaned 
when in Ceylon and from men in the trade in Calcutta, 
and with the exact knowledge we have of the Madras 
production, I am able to state with comparative certainty 
that the imports into Bengal for all practical purposes 
