1840.] 



Memorandum on Indigo. 



847 



The following is a list of prices at the several places where the 

 article is grown (duties unpaid) at Dera Ghazee Khan, a mixture 

 of five descriptions of Indigo, known as 

 Punjmal, 



fNo. 



2 



^ 1 „ 



3 



3 1 





•li -> 



4 



I „ 



5 (best quality) 



^ " 



6 



6 





(■I 





wulpo 



1 



2 



cfl 





-a 





W 





.f: 



1 



2 



!<! . 



3 



J^ 1 







4 



5 



Rs. 



45 per 



maund. 





50 







52 







55 







60 







54 







56 







58 







57 







58 







60 







55 







60* 





Not having had the opportunity of inspecting the methods of culti- 

 vating and preparing the dye in these countries, I cannot offer any re- 

 marks or suggestions on their improvement, but there can be no doubt 

 that there is plenty of room for the introduction of a superior system, as 

 employed by the European growers of Bengal. One is evident, in the 

 necessity of packing it in squares, and not in the present small pieces, 

 whereby much waste appears to be occasioned. 



The duties and expenses on the purchase and transmission of In- 

 digo by the river Indus to Bombay may be thus estimated — 



1st. In the Punjaub, a duty on the purchase and clearing, of Rs. 4 

 per maund. 



2nd. In the Bhawulpore territories the duty amounts to f Rs. 3:8:0 



* The maund differs according to the country. Indigo in the Shikarpore market is 

 weighed by the maund of 40 assars, each assar being equal to Shikarpore Rs. 83, or 

 Company's Rupees 79 in weight. 



t One-fourth of all Indigo purchased in the territories of Bhawulkhan, is from the Go- 

 vernment share of produce, on which a duty of 10 Rs. per maund is levied, whilst the 

 other three-fourths pay at the rate of 1 Rupee 8 annas per maund, making an aver- 

 age of about 3| Rupees for the whole, (ex-gra; — Thus, of 20 maunds purchased, 5 

 would pay Rs. 50, and the remainder 22 : 8 : 0, or about 3| Rs. for the whole.) 



5p 



