89 
brittle than Tuticorin sheils and not to give the high 
glaze when polished as do the latter shells. Aaramuhkhi 
is a term sometimes employed for those of this quality 
which are characteristically tinted a dirty brick-red at the 
mouth opening. ‘They vary greatly in quality and may 
fetch anything from Rs. 40 to 80 per 1,000 in Calcutta. 
Good average quality such as are fished on the Tanjore 
coast should fetch Rs. 80 per 1,000 wholesale in Calcutta 
without difficulty. A certain number of inferior shells 
with an undue proportion of small sizes come from the 
French territories of Pondicherry and Karikal: it is 
possible that these in part are fished in British waters and 
surreptitiously carried to French territory owing to the 
rule in force in Tanjore and South Arcot to confiscate all 
undersized shells brought in for sale to Government. 
The price of these French shells rules usually from 
Rs. 20 to Rs. 25 per 1,000 less than for shells fished oft 
the British districts owing to the larger proportion of 
small sizes present. 
10. Duani.—These shells are fished off the Travan- 
core coast. T’hey are large and of excellent quality. They 
come packed in cadjan mats, the large separated from the 
small. The former fetch from Rs. 14 to Rs. 18 per 100 
according to size, the smaller Rs. 10 to Rs. 12 per 100. 
The larger run 100 to a bag—the smaller 200 to 250 per 
bag. The total quantity imported into Calcutta seldom 
exceeds 100 bags per annum. 
11. Swrt7.—The name is a corruption of Surat as 
these shells were exported from that port prior to the rise 
of Bombay. Now the whole export trade is concentrated 
at the latter port, but the old trade designation survives. 
The shells are fished offthe Kathiawar coasts ; they are 
often very large and of fine quality. Two sub-grades are 
recognised of which the larger fetches Rs. 22 to Rs. 25 
per 100 while the smaller runs from Rs. 8 to Rs. ro per 
100. The quantity imported is said to be about 80 bags 
large (100 shells toa bag) and 120 bags of small (300 toa 
bag). It must be understood that the prices given above 
are approximate only ; they represent the average value 
during the past two or three years. 
The sawn rings supplied from the wholesale cutting 
factories at Dacca and some few other centres to local 
bangle workshops widely scattered throughout Lower 
