THE TECHNOLOGIST. [May 1, 1865. 



458 KASHMIR SHAWLS FROM THE EAST 



1851 . . . £171,709 1857 . . . £290,640 



1852 . . . 146.270 1858 . . . 227,618 



1853 . . . 215,659 1859 . . . 310,027 



1854 . . . 170,153 1860 . . . 252,828 



1855 . . . 197,890 1861 . . . 351,093 



1856 . . . 209,279 



This is now by far the most important manufacture in the Punjab ; 

 but thirty years ago it was almost entirely confined to Kashmir. At the 

 period alluded to a terrible famine visited Kashmir, and in consequence 

 numbers of the shawl-weavers emigrated to the Punjab,- and settled in 

 Umritsur, Nurpur, Dinangar, Tilaknath, Jelalpur, and Loodiana, in 

 all of which places the manufacture continues to flourish. The best 

 shawls, of Punjab manufacture, are manufactured at Umritsur, which 

 is also an emporium of the shawl trade. But none of the shawls made 

 in the Punjab can compete with the best shawls made in Kashmir itself 

 — first, because the Punjab manufacturers are unable to obtain the finest 

 species of wool ; and secondly, by reason of the inferiority of the dyeing, 

 the excellence of which, in Kashmir, is attributed to some chemical 

 peculiarity in the water there. On receipt of the raw " pushum," or 

 shawl wool, the first operation is that of cleansing it. This is done 

 generally by women. The best kind is cleaned with lime and water, 

 but ordinarily the wool is cleaned by being shtken up with flour. The 

 next operation is that of separating the hairs from the pushum ; this is 

 a tedious operation, and the value of the cloth subsequently manufac- 

 tured varies with the amount of care bestowed upon it. The wool thus 

 cleaned and sorted is spun into a thread with the common " churka" or 

 native spinning machine. This is also an operation requiring great 

 care. 



White pushumeea thread of the finest quality will sometimes cost as 

 much as 21. 10s. a pound. The thread is next dyed, and is then ready 

 for the loom. 



The shawls are divided into two classes : — 



1. Woven shawls, called " Teliwalah." 



2. "Worked shawls. 



Shawls of the former class are woven into separate pieces, which are, 

 when required, sewn together with such precision, that the sewing is 

 imperceptible. These are the most highly prized of the two. In 

 worked shawls the pattern is worked with the needle upon a piece of 

 plain pushumeea, or shawl-cloth. 



A woven shawl, made at Kashmir, of the best materials, and weighing 

 seven pounds, will cost there as much as 300/. Of this amount, 

 the cost of the materials, including thread, is 30/. ; the wages of labour, 

 100/. ; miscellaneous expenses, 50/. ; duty, 70/. 



Besides shawls, various other articles of dress, such as chogas, or 

 outer robes, ladies' opera cloaks, smoking caps, gloves, &c, are made of 

 pushumeea. 



