126 



COTTOX-^VOOL. 



Fort Saint George. 

 "and Trade of The cottoii trade of the Company's territories 

 Cotton in India, ^^-^^^j, ^j^^ presidency of Fort St. George is next 



to be considered. 



The Northern Circars, which extend about five 

 hundred miles along the Coast of Coromandel from 

 the river Kistna to the borders of Cuttack, have 

 from very early times been the seat of an impor- 

 tant and extensive manufacture of cotton piece- 

 goods, of which the descriptions of calicoes known 

 as Madras longcloths and salarapores were the 

 chief, and with Masulipatam dyed handkerchiefs 

 and other kinds of goods for the African and West- 

 India trade, have until lately been in great demand. 

 Masulipatam goods have, hov/ever, for some years 

 been entirely superseded by the manufactures of 

 Manchester and Glasgow, and in all appearance 

 the Northern Circars will, at no distant period of 

 time, be deprived of the manufacture of white 

 calicoes also. 



The cotton which is grown in the Northern 

 Circars is neither abundant in quantity nor good 

 in quality. The weavers have depended for a 

 considerable part of the supply of their raw mate- 

 rial upon the Mahratta countries to the westward, 

 from which cheaper and better cotton was brought 

 by persons termed Lombadies, who travelled down 

 to the coast at the proper season of the year in 

 large bodies, and took back salt, betel, copper, and 

 other merchandize, in return. 



As 



