Boyal Asiatic Socieiy. 



BoYAL Asiatic Society, 



May 26, 1837.— Mr. Ashburneiv who had kindly favoured the Com- 

 mittee with his attendance, read a paper drawn up by him, on the in- 

 ternal trade of Bombay in cotton, salt, &c., and on the state of the 

 roads and modes of conveyance in general throughout that Presidency. 



Resolved,— That this Paper be printed in the Proceedings of this 

 aay, and that the thanks of the Committee to Mr» Ashburner for his 

 communication, be recorded. 



Resolved, —That a copy of Mr. Ashburner's Paper be sent to the 

 Court of Directors, with a request that an abstract statement of the 

 loads constructed at the several Presidencies of India within the last 

 twenty years, be furnished to the Committee. 



Memorandum respecting the Internal Trade and Communic4»- 

 TioN OF the Presidency of Bombay, by Geo. Ashburner, Esq. 



"Within the last few years the internal trade of western India has 

 exhibited unusual signs of activity. An intercourse has long been 

 established between the provinces on the Nerbudda and the TaptePj 

 and the port of Bombay ; but until 1830 it was confined almost en* 

 tirely to the conveyance of salt for the consumption of central India. 



This article was carried on bullocks from the sea-coast to the town, 

 pf Oumrawutty in Berar, a distance of near six hundred miles. 



As the bullocks were sent down from Oumrawutty unladen, it oc- 

 curred to an enterprising native in the year above-mentioned, to load, 

 Rome of them with the cotton of the country, which had been pre- 

 viously carried to Calcutta, via Mirzapore and the Ganges, and the 

 experiment succeeded so well that no less than 10,000 loads of the arti- 

 cle were brought to Bombay the following year. 



- The price it then sold for (64 rupees a candy) seemed sufficiently 

 renaunerating ; for the quantity brought to market was steadily and 

 rapidly increasing. The great rise,, however, in the price of cotton all 

 ©ver the world, which took place in 1834, and 1835, and the high prices 

 which continued last year, gave an additional stimulus to the cotton 

 dealers and cultivators of Berar ; and the result was, the importation 

 into Bombay last year of no less than 1)0,000 bullock load* of 240-lbs. 

 tach, of the article from the above district. 



