1837.] Remarks on the Silks of Assam. 35 



moment's personal attention, nor could his assistant do it, having then 

 the same work to do which now employs several officers ; the factory 

 was therefore left entirely under the direction of natives. These, to 

 add to their own importance, rather increased, than alleviated the 

 fears that the Assamese, (who had labored under so many restrictions,) 

 naturally entertained of imitating or using any thing pertaining or 

 appropriated to the " Raja ;" such a presumption in the good old times 

 might have cost a man his ears or his nose. The residence of 

 European officers in different parts of the country having undeceived 

 the people as to those restrictions, there would be now great facilities 

 in introducing improvements — although the ryuts individually have 

 not the means of getting reeling machines, however simple and cheap, 

 they would, as with sugar-mills, club together to obtain them, were 

 it only shewn to them that there was any advantage, in the use of 

 them. Mooga thread is every day increasing in value ; I have marked 

 its rise from three rupees eight annas, to five rupees in the short space 

 of three years ; in Gowalpara it sells at six rupees eight annas or seven 

 rupees ; in Dacca and Moorshedabad at eight rupees. This is, I believe, 

 not more than thirty per cent, below mulberry silk in Calcutta ; the 

 primitive process of the Assamese which I have described will, perhaps, 

 shew a possibility of this difference being made up by superior man- 

 agement. The mooga silk could be used in colored fabrics, being easily 

 dyed. In its natural fawn color it stands washing much better than 

 silk, keeping gloss and color to the last ; the natives bleach it with a 

 solution of the potash made from plantain trees, this they also use in 

 washing their cloths, both cotton and silk : soap was unknown previous 

 to the British occupation of the country. 



Another object of great interest, which might become of great 

 importance to this province, is, to ascertain the possibility of rendering 

 the eria marketable in some shape or other ; the way of preparing it 

 (already described,) is such that the cloth made of it when new looks 

 as rough as " taut" (or gunny) ; it is only by repeated washings that it 

 attains a softness of feel and gloss which approach that of silk. It is 

 highly improbable that amongst the natives, repeated trials should not 

 have been made of reeling instead of spinning these cocoons, but 

 from their failing it would be wrong to lay it down as an impossibi- 

 lity : they have merely tried it as other cocoons and given it up when 

 they found that the fibre " did not come," as one of them told me. 

 I had it tried before me with a few cocoons, but with the greatest 

 care the fibre could not be drawn off beyond a few yards without 

 breaking, the cause of this appeared to me to be a greater adhesive- 

 ness in the fibre than with other cocoons, it was drawn off with diffi- 

 f 2 



