The total imports and exports of the Amráoti town (beside cotton) for 1869-70* are as follows:—

Trade.

Amráoti.

Spices.

The figures of these trade returns are by no means trustworthy, but they convey some idea of the kind of business done.

Of the internal traffic of the province little need be said; it is carried on principally in the open air, at the great annual fairs, which now flourish more than ever; and at the weekly markets, which are the pride of Berár, and the most precious guarantees of its free trade.

DISTRICT SELECTIONS.

Melgha't.

In exchange for its staples of wood, rice, grain, wheat, the pulses, and ghi, which now go chiefly towards Burhanpúr and Khandwa, on the main line of the Great Indian Peninsula railway (some portions being reserved for Baitúl and Berár), Melghát imports Bombay (English) and Nágpúr cloths, iron and copper utensils, tobacco, salt, sugar, and other groceries, with some minor superfluities.

Two classes of measures are used in Melghát:

16 adhulis equal 1 kurao, 24 kuraos equal 1 mani.

The adhuli, taking grain in weight, is equal to 105 Government rupees.

Elichpu'r.

In the city of Elichpúr trade is small in proportion to the size of the place. There are still a few bankers who draw bills, and the garrison helps to support some commerce in grain; a little cotton is also brought to the markets. But on the whole its prosperity is on the decline.

* Up to 31st March 1870.

Melghát.

Elichpúr.

The principal fairs and bazárs in the district are Chándúr, Anjangaon, Dariápúr, Elichpúr, Karajgaon, Dhanora.

Akola.

Akola.

In every circle of ten miles there is a weekly bazár for each day in the week. The principal towns have the larger bazárs, in the smaller villages the gatherings are comparatively insignificant. Petty traders go round to these markets with foreign groceries and cheap manufactures, of much the same quality as those now sold in England at the booths in a fair. Cattle, corn, vegetables, cloth, and fruit are brought by the peasants and bought by the dealers.

The annual fairs (jatras), as they intervene, attract all the traders within wide circles, and are visited by crowds from long distances. Both the markets and fairs suffered from the dangers attending transport of goods before British rule; since then they have recovered, and far exceed what they ever were before, even according to local traditions.

Fairs usually have a religious origin. The weekly markets have tided over heavy tolls and duties, to which the traders were liable at every village on their line of route, in default of a certain protection by the patel of the market village to which they happened to be bound. In order to start a weekly market the patel of the village had to make valuable presents to the traders who attended the inaugurative gathering.

Three very considerable fairs are held, viz

Pátúr Shekh Bábu-it lasts about twenty days, and is held
about the month of February ;

Sonála, for five days in November;

and Akot, twelve days, also in November.

The external trade of the district consists in the importation of gúr, principally from East Berár; sugar from Bombay, or the kind known as Benáres; wheat and oil from Buldána district; rice from Nagpur and Bombay (principally from the former); opium from Indore and Buldána; and cocoanuts from Bombay. Sáris and Dhotis are imported from Nágpúr, Ahmadábád, and Bombay, and English piece-goods via Bombay.

The exports are-cotton, from Khámgaon principally to Bombay; ghí (produced principally in the country south-east of Akola); to Bombay and Púna; dyes (indigo and kusamba); and cattle.

Indigo is cultivated about Pátula, but to no great extent; kusamba grows widely throughout the valley.

A regular trade in cattle for butchers and in milk buffaloes has always existed with Bombay.

Before the railways the means of transit was principally by herds of bullocks kept by Banjáras-notorious robbers and thieves, like all nomads, but trusty carriers always, and not easily robbed themselves. They are employed through their naiks or headmen, whose fidelity is secured either by a deposit of money, or by dealings extending over a long period. The railway has now deprived the Banjáras almost entirely of their traffic in corn and salt from long distances, but there are still about eight thousand pack-bullocks exclusively employed in carrying the internal trade of the district between the weekly markets and fairs.

Trade.

Wún.

Buldána.

Wu'n.

The exports are cotton, grain, ghí, together with other minor articles. The cotton grown to the east of Yewatmál finds its way to Hinganghát, in the Central Provinces, while that to the westward is either purchased at Digras or Kárinja by agents from Bombay. Corn of every description is exported both to the east of the Wardha and south of the Painganga, and in the latter direction it is taken as far as Haidarábád. The principal commodities of import are spices, salt, gúr, cloth, hardware, &c., from the Bombay and Nágpúr markets. Internal trade is transacted chiefly at markets and fairs, consisting of coarse cloths dyed and undyed, grain, salt, bangles, spices, and other necessaries of life. Horned cattle are exhibited in large numbers for sale in a few markets. The trade in carts, both small and large, in the Wún taluk is generally very brisk. The standard weight of the ser is eighty tolas. The local ser is of about twenty tolas. It is not now much in use, except amongst the Kunbís themselves. The standard payali is two sers. This weight, however, used to differ in separate places. Traders amongst themselves are apt to deal with the old weights, as they still carry on business in the old coins (Nágpúr and Haidarábád rupees). In measuring corn by payalis the following proportions are adhered to :

Taking the payali at the standard unit, a mand is therefore equal
to 32 sers. The cotton weights differ; they are as follows:-

Section II.-Manufactures.

Cotton cloth, mostly of the coarser kinds, though finer textures can be made to order; some stout carpets, and some chárjámas or Indian saddles are made within the province. A little silk-weaving goes on, and the dyes are good at certain places. Carpenters and ironsmiths can do tolerable rough work; at Dewalghát, near Buldána, they forge steel of fair quality. The District Selections contain particulars of articles manufactured; but, on the whole, Berár does not shine in this department of industry. Nágpúr supplies fine cloths; nearly all articles of furniture or luxury come from the west, and almost the whole labour of the province is more profitably employed in raising raw produce to pay for them.

DISTRICT SELECTIONS.

Melgha't.

The manufactures may be said to be almost nil. The Dhers weave a coarse cloth for sale in the local markets; besides this, there is only a small out-turn in the basket line.

Elichpu'r.

Cotton and silk fabrics of several descriptions are produced. These consist of turbans and fine cloth for male and female apparel, made of cotton with silk border; the designs vary, and are sometimes pleasing. Besides these, cotton carpets are made remarkably well at Elichpúr. Common country cloth called khádi is made all over the district, and baskets of various kinds. Good carts are made; there are some excellent carvers in the city, and the lac ornaments for women are celebrated.

Akola.

The American war, raising the price of cotton, checked local manufactures, which were never very flourishing or valuable. All the poorer looms had to shut up, and the artizans took to agriculture. Raw material rose in price; necessary articles maintained their ground, but carpets and other luxuries not within the Kunbí's category of essentials suffered.

Very good cotton carpet manufacturers are to be found in Akot and Bálápur. The coarse cloths called khádi and dhotar are woven in nearly every village; the Dhers or village menial servants when too numerous for the village duty resorted to this indoor work for subsistence. They used to be excluded from joining in field labour; now the Kunbí is glad to get them, but the Máli excludes them from his garden as carefully as he would a pestilence. Very fair turbans are woven at Bálápúr, and the coarse kinds of clothes worn by the women of the district are woven by the Koshtis and Sális, and dyed by the Rangáris. Silk clothes for native women are woven to a small extent at Akola and the larger towns.

Our jail is bestowing instructions in cloth manufactures very successfully; but the knowledge does not take root in the country. The proficient is dishonest and without capital; he must revert to his old mode of livelihood-the skill he acquires is even lost upon himself.

Manufactures.

Melghat.

Elichpúr.

Akola.