Page:The Industrial Arts of India.djvu/185

 up of so many native Indian courts. It now contains 8,000 stone houses, and a population of 34,137, most of whom are dependent in one way or another on the wire drawing and cloth-weaving industries of the place. At the census of r866 the number of gold thread makers were: —

Wire-drawers 601 Wire-flatteners. ...,.411 Total 1,434
 * Kalabatun " [gold thread] f»pi niters . . „, 41a

The number of weavers engaged in weaving was—

Silk spinners. - . 4$ Cloth 'dyers. » *, , ....... 457 Other weavers , *. 4,437 Total ....... 5,320
 * ' Kalabatun ” [gold thread] weavers . . . . 381

In the Bhandara district native cloth is made at Ehandara, Pauni, Sih ora, Adar, and several other towns. The finest and best is manufactured at Pauni. This cloth is much prized by the higher class of natives, who sometimes pay 20/, for a t urban d, or dopaita [a twofold scarf]. The manufacturers of these cloths are said to have come originally from Burhanpur, and from Paithan bn the Godavari, the old capital of Salivahana, a,d. 78, Red saris, with different coloured borders of silk and cotton, are made at Mohari and Andhalgaon. Bagri is noted for its stout and durable kadt cloth, and the town of Bhandara for its turbands. The commerce of this district has received a great impetus through the improve- ment of the road to Jubbulpur, and the opening of the Railway,

In Nagpur, cotton and silk cloths of all sorts of descriptions are produced in great abundance, from dhotis, valued at 50/. the pair, to the scanty langutts worn by the common coolies. The pagris, or turbands, are generally made of finely woven cotton cloth, with a broad fringe of gold. The saris and dhotis are generally of plain cotton, with a handsome silk border. The very best of