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24 that number ; and the low rates of wage, with the natural aptitude of the native for textile work, enables the Bombay mill-owners to compete with the Lancashire manufacturers, notwithstanding the heavy cost of importing machinery and of European supervision. Several of the mills have a capital of some hundreds of thousands sterling invested in them; and their superior reputation for turning out unglazed and genuine goods has almost driven the lower qualities of Manchester fabrics from the market. In 1873 fifteen mills were at work in the town and island of Bom bay, and five in other parts of the Presidency. Most of them have both spindles and looms, and their yarn and piece goods find a ready market. In Ahmadabad, Surat, Yeola, Nasik, and Bombay, considerable quantities of silk goods are made, the silk being imported from China either in the cocoon or in skeins. Gold and silver thread enter largely into the manufacture of silk and cotton fabrics. The kinkhdb (kincob), the richest kind produced, is either gold thread and silk, or silver, gold, and silk. Embroidery in silk cloth and cotton, and in gold, silver, and silk thread, is carried on to some extent in Haidarabad, in Sindh, principally for European markets. Fibres are used for the manufacture of paper in Ahmadabad, Baroda, Surat, Nasik, Bombay, and Kolhapur. Mats, beds, etc., are manufactured from cocoa-nut fibre. Leather is worked into a variety of articles throughout the Presidency. The manufactures of minor importance consist of pottery, brass, and copper utensils, cutlery, and agricultural implements, gold and silver ornaments, carved wood, ivory work, &c.

.—The total value of the external trade of the Presidency for 1872-73 was as follows: Bombay Port imports, 17,388,953; exports, 19,117,081; re-ex ports, 5,140,924; total, 41,046,958. Minor ports im ports, 395,238; exports, 729,028; reexports, 13,368; total, 1,137,634. Sindh ports imports, 1,677,399; exports, 1,991,556; total, 3,668,955. Aden imports, 1,407,102; exports, 834,087; total, 2,241,189. Total of the Presidency imports, 20,868,692 ; exports, 22,671,752; re-exports, 5,154,292; total, 48,694,736. In the same year 5314 ships, having a tonnage of 902,157 tons, cleared from Bombay harbour, and 5208 ships, of 161,907 tons, from the minor ports. Principal articles of commerce cotton, cotton piece-goods, wool and woollen piece goods, machines and machinery, oils, tea, wines and spirits, metals, coal, candles, jute and gunny cloths, apparel, sugar and sugar-candy, twist, hides and skins, grain and pulse, bullion, &amp;lt;fec. In 1872-73 upwards of 55,300 tons of cotton were imported into Bombay in the shape of Manchester goods, and 143,017 tons of raw cotton exported from it.

—The total revenue of the Presidency for the year 1872-73 amounted to 9,980,043, and the expenditure to 8,027,040. The principal heads of revenue are as follows: Land revenue, 3,751,050; tributes and contributions from native states, 92,337; forests, 114,640, excise, 418,746- assessed taxes, 110,098; customs, 667,825; salt, 885,013; opium, 2,614,897 ; stamps, 527,382 ; law and justice, 29,677; marine, 64,475; interest, 103,209. The settlement of the land revenue is usually made for thirty years. A revision of the thirty years settlement of Poona, Nasik, and Sholapur districts, is now (1874) in progress.

.—The military strength of the Bombay Presidency consists of 1250 European commis sioned officers, 11,067 European non-commissioned officers and rank and file, 27,002 Native commissioned and non commissioned officers and rank and file; total, 39,319. The whole are under the control of a separate commander- in-chief for Bombay. Ten ships constitute the strength of the Bombay marine. The regular police of Bombay con sisted in 1872-73 of 18,166 officers and men, maintained at a total cost of 305,810; the average being 1 man to every 6 -8 square miles of the area, and to 900 of the population.

.—The University of Bombay, established in 1857, is a body corporate, consisting of a chancellor, vice- chancellor, and fellows. The Governor of Bombay is ex- ofllcio chancellor. The Educational Department is under a director of public instruction, who is responsible for the administration of the department in accordance with the general educational policy of the state. In 1872-73 the number of schools and colleges aided by the state or under its inspection was as follows : 7 colleges, attended by 544 pupils; 4 professional schools, with 275 pupils; 41 high schools, 7167 pupils; 176 middle class schools, 16,612 pupils; 3595 lower class schools for boys, 182,147 pupils; 253 lower class schools for girls, 10,885 pupils; 12 normal schools, 602 pupils; total, 4088 schools, 218,466 pupils. The total cost for tha schools was 285,650, of which the state contributed 99,600; the balance being obtained from school fees, local contributions, private endowments, &amp;lt;tc.

.—The territories now comprising the Presidency of Bombay formed in ancient times several separate Hindu kingdoms, among which Maharashthra, Gujarashthra, Sindhu, were the most important. As in other parts of India, the great majority of the people are Hindus, with more recent accretions of Muhammadans, and a sprinkling of hill-tribes practising non-Hindu rites, and representing the pre- Aryan races. The first Muham- inadan invasion of which we have authentic accounts is that of Mahmud of Ghazni, who, in 1024 A.D., in vaded Gujarat with a large army, destroyed the national Hindu idol of Somnath, and carried away an immense booty. Muhammad Ghori also invaded Gujarat, and left a garrison in its capital. But it was not till after the Musalman power was firmly established in Northern India that the Muhammadan sovereigns of Dehli attempted the conquest of the south. In 1294 the Emperor Ald-ud-din first invaded the Dakhin (Deccan), and in 1297 he con quered Gujarat. In 1312 the Muhammadan arms were triumphant through the Marhatta country ; and seven years later the whole of Malabar fell a prey to the invaders. In the middle of the 14th century the weakness of the Dehli sovereigns tempted the governors of provinces to revolt against their distant master, and to form independent king doms. In this way the Bahminl kingdom was established in the Dakhin, and embraced a part of the Bombay Pre sidency. Ahmadnagar and Gujarat also became the scats of a new kingdom. In 1573 Akbar conquered Gujarat and reannexed it to the empire, and in 1601 he effected the reconquest of Ahmadnagar and Khandesh. From this time the country was never tranquil, and Ahmadnagar be came the focus of constant rebellions. During the latter part of the 17th century the Marhattas rose into power, and almost every part of the country now comprising the Presidency of Bombay fell under their sway. As early as 1532 A.D. the island of Bombay was occupied by the Portuguese. The Dutch and English made an unsuccessful attempt to gain possession of the island in 1627, and in 1653 proposals were suggested for its purchase from the Portuguese. In 1661 it was ceded to the English Crown, as part of the dower of the Infanta Catherina on her marriage with Charles II. So lightly was the acquisi tion esteemed in England, and so iinsuccessful was the administration of the Crown officers, that in 1668 Bombay was transferred to the East India Company for an annual payment of 10. The population at that time did not exceed 10,000 souls, and so unhealthy was the climate, that three years were regarded as the average duration of the life of its European inhabitants. At the time of the 