1836.] 



ef the Southern Mdhratta Country. 



479 



rate of little more than 3±d. per pound.* At present a good deal of 

 this cotton is carried to Bombay by Parsee merchants, by way of Comp- 

 tah, a place much further down the coast than Sedasheghur, and there- 

 fore occasioning a much longer land as well as sea-carriage, than were 

 the cotton carried to the latter place. The only reason that I could 

 discover for these merchants preferring Comptah to Sedasheghur, was, 

 that the former place is nearer to the pepper country than the latter, 

 and is therefore more convenient for that branch of trade. The latter 

 possesses the great advantage of being situated at the mouth of a fine 

 river, which is navigable for large boats, as high up as fifteen or six- 

 teen miles ; whereas Comptah is situated on a paltry stream at some 

 distance from the sea, and cannot be approached closely, even by the 

 small coasting vessels. Some cotton is also exported from this dis= 

 trict to Mysore. 



4. Ricinus communis, Lin. ; Erind. Duk. Castor-oil Plant. —There 

 are two varieties of this plant, the large and small seeded. The for- 

 mer is principally cultivated in this district. It produces an inferior 

 kind of oil, which is mostly employed for burning in lamps. It is cul- 

 tivated on the regur soil. 



5. Carthamus tine tortus, "Willd. ; Koosum, Duk. Saffloiver. — This 

 is cultivated in most parts of the district on good regur soil, only on 

 account of the oil which is expressed from its seeds. In many parts 

 of India it is cultivated merely on account of the fine red dye prepared 

 from its flowers, which are here allowed to wither. 



6. Nicotiana Tabacum, Lin.; Tumbak, Duk. Tobacco .-—Is cultl«" 

 vated on the regur soil in several parts of this district ; but is not con= 

 sideredtobe of good quality. The crop is often very much injured by 

 a parasitical plant, the Orobanche Indica (Roxb. Hort. Bengal.), 

 which grows from the roots of the tobacco plants, and prevents their 

 growth. These parasites sometimes grow as high as the tobacco plants 

 themselves, and if they get into a field, the crop is sure to be much in- 

 jured, if not ruined. 



7. Triticum oestivum, Lin. ; Gioon, Duk. Wheat. — There is a good 

 deal of wheat cultivated in this district on the regur soil. It is chiefly 

 exported to the western coast, and to various parts of the country. 



8. Indigofera Anil, Lin. ; Neel, Duk. Indigo. — It is curious thatj, 

 although a large quantity of indigo be used in this district, and al- 

 though the plant be indigenous, not the smallest quantity of dye, until 

 within the last two or three years, was ever prepared by the inhabi- 

 tants ; the consumption being entirely supplied from the Ceded Dis- 

 tricts, and other parts of India. Its cultivation having been encourag- 



* At present no duties are levied on goods exported from Sedasheghur, 



