Page:The Imperial Gazetteer of India - Volume 2 (2nd edition).pdf/322

 BENGAL.

312 foreign

countries

1881-82:

and

in

the interportal trade,

—Calcutta,

was as follows for

Chittagong, ;^i, 214, 442 ; Orissa Ports, ^989,748; Naraydnganj, Of total, ^67,412,619. this grand total, ^40,181,529 are exports; ^27,231,090 are imports.
 * ^64,634,509

The

total



of

trade

Calcutta

was

alone

^^38,894,876

exports



Of the export trade, 15!^ millions sterling were sent to Great Britain; 6| millions to China; 2^ millions to the United States; and more than i million to the Straits Settlements, opium, and Ceylon. The most important exports are
 * ^25, 739,633 imports.

—

France,

£lAn,^T,

jute,

£2,^20,682; rice,

tea,

844,516.

£398,9^0, but

it


 * ^4, 581, 543

1

indigo,

£zAS^AS9',

oil-seeds,

skins, 830,674; and 1875-76, the value of wheat exported was has since increased to above 2J millions sterling in p{j3, 528,771



hides

and

In

—

In the import trade, the main items are cotton piece-goods, p£iB 43 °) 965 ; nietals, ^1,734,191 ; and machinery, ;^488, 5 39. Of value.

the

imports,

18^ millions are

from

United

the

Kingdom.

The

export trade of Chittagong and of the Orissa Ports consists almost entirely of rice, carried in coasting vessels.

Chittagong imports

salt

direct from Liverpool,

and exports some jute; but otherwise these minor ports have scarcely any direct trade with Europe. The Ganges, the Brahmaputra, and on a much smaller scale the Mah^nadi river in Orissa, with the Eastern Bengal Railway, the Northern Bengal Railway, and the great East Indian Line, form the main arteries of commerce. From these great channels a network of minor streams, and a not yet complete system of raised roads, radiate to the remotest Districts. The larger transactions of commerce are conducted in the cities, such as Calcutta and Patna, and in large rural marts, which have recently grown up under British rule. The smaller operations of trade are effected by means of village markets and countless

Mfs

or open-air weekly bazars in every District.

—

Roads During 1881-82, the expenditure from Provincial funds on the main lines of road in the Province was ^211,525, including the expenditure on six new and important feeder roads for the Northern .

Bengal State Railway. The construction of these feeder lines, although intended to be left to the local Committees, had to be taken in hand by the Public Works Department, as it was found that many years must elapse before the funds at the disposal of the Committees would enable

them

to effect any appreciable improvement in the communications between the railway stations and the local trade centres. The operations of the District Committees are primarily directed to the maintenance of existing roads, and most Districts are now provided with fairly

good

local

roads.

As

of the funds of the Committees

improvement of

village tracks,

a

rule,

is

set

a

considerable

proportion

aside for the construction or

works which bring home to the people