1M COTTON IN THE MADRAS PRESIDENCY. [2ND SEASON. 



this little dungeon with a bundle of long smooth rods 

 in each hand. Each man ties a cloth over his mouth 

 and nose, to prevent his inhaling the flying fibres of 

 Cotton ; and one man places his back against the little 

 door so as to prevent any waste. Then they both set 

 to work and whip the Cotton with their rods, in order 

 to mix the bad and good so thoroughly together that a 

 very tolerable article is turned out. If, after all this 

 "bedevilling," the Broker can get a living price for his 

 article, he delivers it to the Chitty just as it is, with 

 the addition of only a few seeds. Usually, however, 

 he is shaved so close as to be driven to resort to other 

 means to realize a profit. Accordingly he adds a hand- 

 ful or two of seed to every bundle, or lets it get in by 

 accident ; and in this state the Cotton is finally de- 

 livered to the Chitty.* 

 178 The Chitty: tricks played with the European 

 Agents. — Nothing now remained but for the Chitty to 

 pass off the Cotton upon the European Agent at the 

 coast. It is usually the custom for the Chitty to 

 make a contract with his European Agent, before he 

 himself makes his contract with the Broker. The con- 

 tract is made for such a quantity of Cotton of such a 

 quality ; and of course the very lowest sum is fixed. 

 The Chitty agrees to the contract ; knowing that the 

 price fixed is insufficient to secure the quality con- 

 tracted for ; but knowing also that when the time for 

 delivery arrives, the Agent must take just what he, the 

 Chitty, chooses to deliver. In other words, the Chitty 

 knows that the European Agents have their engage- 

 ments to meet ; that they have made all their arrange- \ 

 ments for shipment ; and that perhaps they have a 



* A curious instance of adulteration is recorded by Dr. Wight, j 

 On one occasion he had several bales of damaged American Cotton, 



which he did not think worth the cost of sending home ; and ac- 1 



cordingly he offered it for sale in Coimbatore. To his surprise I 



the Cotton was immediately purchased at the high figure of fifty j 

 rupees per candy. Subsequently he learnt that this American Cot- 

 ton was purchased for the purpose of mixing it with some inferior 



very short-stapled Native Cotton ; its long staple enabling the dealer ' 



to pass off the whole at full prices as Cotton of the first sort. Pari j 

 Return (1857), p. 295. . | I 



