219
rates. As one cartloacl is frequently the whole of
his crop, and the amount it realises will he the
most important part of his ineome for the whole
year, it is not surprising'that the cultivator should
show much anxiety to get the highest possible
price, and somewhat ohstinately delay to accept a
lower one than he had reckoned upon. At last
some one gives way, a bargain is struck, and the
event of a morning in the cotton market has taken
place. The price has come out. The ice once
broken, things are easy, and the market assumes
a lively aspeet. Sharp knives are plunged into
“ docras,” followed hy investigating hands, which
carefully hold the samples in the shade, the better
to judge of their quality and colour. Sales are
now effected on all sides, and the cotton has fairly
started on its eventful career.
7G6 (5,222). The “ Pinjara.”—“ Pinjar ” is the ono-
matopaeical name of the instrument which in the
country cotton trade takes the place of the
“ opener ” or more recent “ exhaust opener ” of
Manchester. It somewhat resembles a harp with
a single string, and is similar in principle to the
how formerly used by feit hat makers. The Vibra
tion of the gut string is produced by blows with
a heavy wooden plectrum, so to speak; and when
directed on the cotton it disentangles the masses,
drives ofF a certain quantity of dust, but in no
way arranges the fibre; on the contrary, it is
accused of breaking and injuring the staple while
producing an appearance of great softness and
openness. It would be quite useless as a prepara-
tion for machine spinning, but it seems to act
well enough for hand work. . The Pinjarars are
exclusively Mahommedan who work at home, and
also, like some of the peripatetic craftsmen of
Europe, go about in search of work twanging the
string of the “ pinjar ” as they go by way of adver-
tisement. They are employed in the large towns
to clean cotton hock mattresses, and they also clean
and open wool as occasion offers. In Dharwar the
“ pinjar ” is ealled “ bese.”
767 (5,223). Preparing hoops for cotton bales.—
This is a sketch in the yard of the French press
at Khangaum, and sliows a labourer employed in
preparing hoops for full-pressed bales. A great
quantity of hoop iron is consumed in this work,
and during the pressing season numbers of men
and hoys earn a comfortable living at the work.
768 (5,224). Interior of a cotton press.—The dust
and noise of this scene cannot be hinted at in a
sketch, It seems to be a tradition of the cotton
press that the greatest possible amount of yelling
and hawling is essential to the due performance
of the work, even where the noiseless engine does
the hardest part. At the cotton screws where the
capstan bars, so to speak, are hurried round hy
rows of men, a cadenced din is of use in marking
the time, but there seems to be little need for it in
a press-room. The cotton is emptied out of the
“ docras ” and beaten with long canes, a process
which gets rid of a certain quantity of the sand
and dust which has filtered through the gunny
covering, and disperses the rcst. Then itis heaped
into the square box on the right and weighed. By
this time the shafts of the press have ascended,
the door is opened, and by the help of a canvas
shoot the cotton is tumbled into the press box, in
which a row of men stand to trample it down.
They usually clench a piece of cotton between
their teeth to keep the dust out of their mouths.
When the box is filled they come out, the gunny
cover of the bale is adjusted, the door is closed,
and the mighty arms of the press slowly descend.
On the ground floor of the building the hoops and
fastenings are adjusted, and the cotton which re-
cently filled the spacious weigh-box is found com-
pressed into a neat and handy bale.
769 (5,225). Cotton sampling at Sulkeah, Calcutta.
—The Calcutta cotton trade is carried on on a
different plan from that of Western India. Nearly
all the cotton is sent down by rail full pressed from
up-country screws. Arriving at Sulkeah, a suburb
of Howrah, it is stored in huge brick go-downs,
and there the buyers go to examine it. Five per
Cent, of the bales are allowed to be cut into, but
even with this opportunity of examination the
buyer frequently has a quantity of rubbish foisted
upon him, and an immense variety of foreign
matter of the most ohjectionahle kind is found in
the bales. One or two firms in Calcutta have
commenced the Bombay plan of up-country agen-
cies and presses, which does away with this un-
pleasant business. An elaborate System of “ dus-
toor,” or, in plain English, bribery and corruption,
completely envelopes the trade when in the hands
of agents and middlemen. When merchants or
their agents buy direct from the producer and
press at their own screws, there is a great saving,
while the numerous dishonest practices of the
native merchants are put a stop to.
770 (5,226). Putting cotton aboard cargo hoats at
Sulkeah.—The cotton go-downs or warehouses are
near the railway at Sulkeah, and on the side of
the river where vessels are not moored. The
sketch shows the cargo hoat in use, but it will be
seen that the whole process of shipping is some
what primitive, and by no means economical of
labour.
771 (5,227). Country cloth stall in Khangaum
Weekly Bazaar.—On market days in the Berars,
travelling cloth merchants open stalls in the
bazaars or on the market ground. This is a rüde
sketch of one of these stalls. The goods sold are
usually “ sari ” and chowli bodice pieces, and are
generally of country manufacture. Nagpore fur-
nishes turbans and silk-edged “ dhoturs ” and
“ saris.” Printed cottons, too, come from there,
and from Sholapore, and also from Balapore, in
the neighbourhood of Khangaum. But unhappily
this once flourishing craft is dying out. There
are still good patterns remaining, and good colours;
but there is less demand for this dass of goods,
and Manchester supplies a certain quantity, chiefly
turkey red prints, with yellow and other colours.
The cultivators come to market on foot, in carts,
on ponies, or on pack bullocks. A bargain is a
long business; and as the “ kunbi ” insists on
measuring his purchases with the cubit measure
of his own right arm, there is usually a good deal
of discussion. The choice of a “ sari ” is a matter
of much anxiety to the “ kunbi’s ” wife; and
although the native draper may not have the
polish of the English mercer, he certainly possesses
all his fluency of speech.
772 (5,228). The “ Deshmukh.”—The “ deshmükh”
was the head of the village and Pergunnah System
under the late government. His duties were to
assist the “ Talookdar,” or “ Naik,” in land re-
revenue assessments, in collecting revenue, in
reclaiming waste lands, and other details of the
administration of the Pergunnah. He received a