56 
extensively at Dacca and I was informed by Dinajpur 
shell cutters that their particular supplies come from 
workshops at or near Murshedabad and Nadia. There 
may be others. From these centres the rings are for- 
warded through agents to a large number of outlying 
villages and towns scattered through Bengal and Assam. 
Transactions between wholesale dealers as well as 
the sale of shells and ring-sections are almost always for 
credit, usually for periods of 2 to 3 months. Losses occur 
but seldom for the ‘ combine” would at once refuse to 
deal with defaulters, and workers who cannot or will not 
pay or who give trouble find the sources of supply of the 
raw material required in their trade cut off; they must 
make their peace with the middlemen or quit business—a 
drastic alternative which ensures the due performance of 
promise made to sellers. 
The trade at the present time enjoys marked pros- 
perity and the individual worker earns high wages 
according to Indian standards. It is a poor workman 
who cannot earn one rupee per day ; remuneration is by 
piece work and as the workers are trained to this trade 
from the earliest age they can rub a shell-circle upon a 
erindstone, few are not expert workmen by the age of 20, 
Even boys of 7 and 8 years old are able to earn 4 annas 
a day at rough filing. Skilled hands earn from Re. 1 to 
Rs. 1-8-0 per day and those capable of carving elaborate 
patterns command considerably higher rates. The 
appearance and conduct of the men generally, give the 
impression of superior intelligence ; I found them quick 
to catch my meaning when engaged in cross-examining 
them upon the details of their trade and they showed the 
utmost courtesy and patience in their efforts to render 
matters plain to me, 
(ad) THE TRADE VARIETIES OF SHELLS EMPLOYED. 
Chanks from different localities have distinguishing 
characteristics well known to the Calcutta and Dacca 
dealers ; they constitute in fact a considerable number of 
local races differing little in appearance to the casual 
eye, but readily distinguishable by these shell experts who 
are able to say at a glance whence any particular shell 
has come. As a consequence of these local varieties 
having differing physical characters, their price varies and 
