1842.] Nurma or Chanderi Cotton. 1197 



verished by a mixture of lime and sand, the black soil requires mode- 

 rate but frequent irrigation. It is full of the germs of vegetables, 

 becomes a mucilage when wet, and a rock when dry. 



The monsoon in Nimar is usually mild, the table land of Malwa 

 carrying off the greater body of vapour. The ryuts dread very heavy 

 falls, or the long prevalence of cloudy weather. 



I regret that my recent acquaintance with this district, so greatly 

 limits my means of collecting immediate information, and renders the 

 report so meagre and imperfect. 



(Signed) J. Abbott, Captain, 



Assistant in charge of Nimar. 

 Mundlaisur, Nimar, the 30th September, 1842. 



P. S. — Since writing the above, I have ascertained that at Chundai- 

 ree they do not clean cotton by the ordinary method of passing it 

 between parallel rollers, but by the more gentle process of rolling over 

 it with the hand an iron ruler, or thin cylinder, a polished stone being 

 beneath. This saves the fibre from fraying, and is practised by the 

 Bullaees, (outcasts,) whose females make the finest of the thread employ- 

 ed in Indian fabrics. During this process, they extract all the particles 

 of leaf, pod, earth, &c, as well as coarse fibres of the cotton itself. In 

 the exquisite fabrics woven at Chundairee, the length and perfectness 

 of the fibre must have been of the utmost consequence, and it appears 

 to me, that length of fibre was the principal recommendation of the 

 Mhahlie cotton. A specimen of Berar cotton having just arrived, 

 is forwarded. 



(Signed) J. Abbott. 



(True copy.) 



(Signed) W. S. Eden, 



1st Assistant to Resident. 

 (True copy.) 



(Signed) R. N. C. Hamilton, 

 Secretary to the Government, N. W. P. 

 (True copy.) 



F. J. Halliday, 

 Officiating Secretary to the Government of India. 



