1841.] On the Nurma Cotton of Bundelcund, 823 



serves me, I think it was the latter. It appears to have been culti- 

 vated about Chunderee, rather extensively, some years back, to meet the 

 demand there was then for the Chundellees at all the Native Courts. 



It was customary with the Native princes, when they met together 

 to celebrate marriages, or on other occasions of rejoicing, to present 

 to each other, as well as their dependents, the Chundellee Mamoodies, 

 (cambrics,) turbands, and seylahs, among other things, as Khillats. 

 In fact, these were in requisition at the Courts of all the Native 

 princes in Bundelcund, Malwa, and Central India generally ; but since 

 machinery has tended to lower so considerably the prices of Europe 

 cambrics, the ChundeUees are merely required for the personal gar- 

 ments of the princes. 



Chunderee is a province of the Gwalior state, situated on the 

 banks of the Betwa river, between Jhansee and Chutterpore. I 

 imagine the Resident of Gwalior, instead of Indore, could more 

 readily afford the particulars required respecting the Nurma cotton., 

 In the letter from the Secretary to the Government of Bengal, it 

 is denominated the Nurma cotton of Malwa. Without a more definite 

 description, the Resident may suppose that the information called for, 

 relates to the indigenous Malwa cotton, or Gossypium Herbaceum, 

 which is the same as the common Bandah. It would prevent mistake, 

 if the Nurma grown about Chunderee, from which the Chundellees 

 are manufactured, was mentioned. 



As Chunderee borders close upon Bundelcund, I think the Nurma 

 cotton, which has already been acclimated to the country, and used 

 for ages in the manufacture of the finest fabrics, may be grown suc- 

 cessfully in the whole of Central India and Bundelcund, if not gene- 

 rally in the North-Western Provinces. The soils of the two first are 

 similar ; principally the rich black marl : that of the latter mostly clay 

 and sand. The black marl seems to be decidedly the best for cotton. 



There is another description 6f cotton, which is of a longer staple, 

 and finer fibre, than the common country. It is grown about 

 Omrawuttee, and known in the Mirzapore and Moorshedabad marts as 

 the cotton of that place. It has, however, the disadvantage of being 

 very greatly intermixed with leaves and dirt, from being allowed to 

 fall on the ground, before it is collected. In consequence of its being 

 found so foul, there was never any demand for it in Calcutta, but it was 



