expences, confequently 4,40,000 rupees advanced, produces at 3 rupees 1,40,000 pieces, or 21,000 pieces gain from this, at 4 rupees, 84,000; deduct 5 per cent. commiffion on 5 lacks, 27,500, leaves 56,500, or 10 per cent., profit. This calculation will hold through the whole investment, but not under a provision of 5 lacks in fine goods. The advances fhould be made regularly, and the expences paid monthly, to fixed fervants; to others, as neceffary for the best management, the profits on the defective goods fold by auction will re- . turn a great part of the expences at the end of each feafon: the expences might be 10,000 rupees more than the above eftimate: this is only a rough estimate.

Originally the weigh, number of threads, length and breadth, and the price fixed for weaving, was the mode by which the whole investment and all the clothes were provided; it has latterly been much out of ufe, though in fome places partly endeavoured to be kept up. The management of the Aurung of which I had charge was as follows: The whole was divided

into feven parts, termed grand divifions; thefe divifions were again divided into others; at all these divifions, about thirtyone was a Gomaftah; those at the grand divifions were fuperintendants of the others in their divifion, and had the charge of bleaching and dreffing the cloths of their divifions, and of conveying them to the grand magazine, fituated on the banks of the river, in order to their being tranfported to the Company's warehouses when a fufficient quantity was collected; each grand divifion Gomaftah had also under him a Mebirir and Naib, or clerk and affistant, to enable him to keep his accounts exact. The Gemaaks of his divifion had only to collect into their Cecties, or factories, the cloths from the weavers, rough as they came from the loom, to mark thereon with charcoal the weaver's names, and to forward them to the Gemiah of the grand or wathing dividon, where they were valued, and the weaver's name and valuation recorded; the cloths were then delivered to the wathermen to be bleached; there were Eggers, haileners, who went flom home to house to inspect the work,

and fee it was getting forward. I effected a complete register of the weavers under the whole Aurung, particularizing names, and the number of men and looms in each houfe; thus I could form an estimate what fums were neceffary to be advanced to each family; these advances ought to be made twice in the year, the firft in or about January, and the other in or about July, the investment would then be got up without difficulty, fo as to come home in all February following.

After the advances had been made a reasonable time, a month for inftance, and few or no cloths brought in, and they were wanted, every Gomaftah was written to, to notify to the weavers, that if they did not supply as they ought, Mohuffils would be placed on them; they generally took no notice of this, therefore Mohuffils were fent out. In my register were about 6,000 families of weavers; about 50 or 60 Mobuffils, twice in a year, being on each advance, was fufficient to answer the purpose of

*Mobuffil fignifies arrest.

getting in their cloths in general, because Mobuffils being fent out, fpread through the Aurung in a few days, and the weavers brought in their cloths to prevent Mobuffils being placed over them, and those sent out were generally difmiffed by the Gomaftah in a day or two. There are good and bad in all bodies of men, and among these weavers it was fometimes neceffary to fend out Mobuffils to act as he ought, that is, not permit the weaver to do other business till he had finished his quota of cloth, fo that feverity was in fome inftances abfolutely neceffary. When I was first appointed to my station, I difapproved of the Gomaftahs, as was, and had been, the cuf tom, placing Mobufils at their pleasure, and ordered that no Gomaftah should do it, on any pretence, in future; that they should address me for orders, and if I faw it to be proper, I would place them. For this purpose I had a feal cut large in the Perfian characters, the impreffion of which was made in ink on the Mohuffil Chitty and to which was alfo my fignature and

Chit, or Chitty, is a letter in writing on paper.

ments."

date in English: the particulars were in Bengalefe; weavers names, village, Cootie, pieces advanced for, pieces received, and balance; and then recited, "you are a perfon advanced to; make hafte, and deliver your goods according to your engageThis was delivered to a Peon, who had his name fet down at the back of it as Mohuil, and then entered in a book; when he arrived at the Cootie, the Gomaftah could discharge the Mohuil on any fufficient reafon, and was then to endorfe at the back of the Chit the number of days. that he had acted, for which the weaver paid him 7 Puns of Cowrees per day, (4 Puns are an Anna), and the Chit was then brought back to the head factory and put on a file in case of reference. Several weavers indebted in large fums would abfcond, and when found out by my fervants, and I had fent Peons to apprehend them, have applied to the Fougedarry, complaining against Gomaftahs, Peons, &c. and I generally could not in fuch cases effect their being brought to me, although my people, acting by my orders, had authority for what they did; I for what I did; and thus

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