1839] 



On ihe Statistics of Dakhun, 



443 



In the above notices the rupee has been considered equal to two shil- 

 lings; the seer of weight equal to 1 lb. 15 oz. 8 drs. 18|grs. avoirdupois, 

 or 2 lbs. 4 oz. 6 grs. troy ; and the seer of capacity to 21bs. 6 oz. 3 drs, 

 24 grs. 92 dec. avoirdupois of J er wail rice; its cubic contents, 72 in. 

 2 dec. of water at a temperature of 75° Fahrenheit, at a teniperature of 

 60° therefore being equal to 48 percent, less than two imperial quarts, 

 or veiy nearly one quart. Rigidly, the seer is 4.'\7 dec. per cent, larger 

 than an imperial quart. 



Manufactures. 



Celebrated as was India for its costly and ingenious cotton fabrics, 

 little more than the memory of them now remains. The machinery of 

 England has enabled her manufacturers to take the raw material out of 

 the hands of the grower, and return it to the continent of India, worked 

 up in various ways, without even affording an opportunity for the ap- 

 plication of a prop or stay to the sinking industry of its once flourishing 

 manufacturing classes. As far as relates to Dukhun, its cotton and silk 

 fabrics are confined to coarse dresses for women, tent-cloths, some silk 

 handkerchiefs, and trifling pieces of silk for bosom cloths for women. 

 From an examination of the cotton and silk goods for sale in the mark- 

 ets of Poona, in July 1829, it appeared that every product of the loom, 

 without any exception, with any claim to notice from texture, costliness 

 of material, or ingenuity in the design or workmanship, was an import 

 into the eoUectorates from native states not under the British govern- 

 ment. Turband cloths, varying in length from 24 to 60 cubits, in 

 breadth from three-quarters to 1| cubits, and in price from one rupee 

 up to sixty rupees each, were from Peytun, Bheer, Narrainpait, 

 Tahr Putruh, Wuswunt, Nandergaon, and Shaghur, in the Nizam's 

 dominions ; Boorhanpoor and Jehanabad, in Seendeh's (Scindiah's) 

 dominions, and Chundaree in Malwa, while those made in the 

 city of Poona did not exceed three rupees each in value. The only 

 valuable Dotruhs or loin cloths, in length from 20 to 22 cubits, breadth 

 2^ to 2| cubits, and in price from 10 to 40 rupees, were from Muhesh- 

 wur, in Malwa ; the rest were from the Nizam's, Holkar's, and the Rajah 

 of Berar's (Nagpoor) territories. Shahpoorand Belgaon, in the Dharwar 

 collectorate, produced some loin cloths of the value of 25 rupees ; those 

 from Poona did not exceed three rupees in value. The Dooputtehs or 

 Shelehs, cloths for throwing over the shoulder and enfolding the body, 

 in value from 10 to 200 rupees, were from Peytun, Jehanabad, and Boor- 

 hanpoor ; those from Poona were of the value of five rupees only. 



