M,1LDA DISTRICT
estimated that it does not now exceed Rs. 6o,ooo. The East India
Company had a factory at Malda as early as 1676, and in 1876 there
were seven European concerns for the manufacture of raw silk ; but
there are now only two factories under European management, at
Baragharia and Bhola Hat, and the number of native factories has also
declined. In 1903-4 the European factories turned out 23,000 lb. of
raw silk, valued at 2-1 lakhs, which was exported chiefly to England
and France; they also purchase and export large quantities of cocoons.
Some cotton cloth is woven ; but the only other important industry
is the manufacture of brass-ware and bell-metal at English Bazār,
Nawabganj, and Kāligrām. The manufacture of indigo is languishing,
and the out-turn in 1903-4 was only 4 tons.
The chief exports are silk cocoons, silk thread, paddy and rice to
Calcutta, Dacca, Assam, and Bihār, mangoes (chiefly to Calcutta and
Eastern Bengal) and jute (to Calcutta, Murshidabād, Nagpur, Benares,
Meerut, and Lahore), while wheat, barley, gram, oilseeds, and chillies
are also exported. The imports comprise cotton piece-goods, coco-
nuts, betel-nuts, paper, ghi, amour (molasses), sugar, copper, brass plates,
kerosene oil, shoes, umbrellas, and spices of all kinds. Coco-nuts and
betel-nuts are brought from Lower Bengal, ghi and gur from Bihār,
and the other articles mainly from Calcutta. A large part of the traffic
is carried in country boats down the Mahānanda; while some of the
trade is carried by boat or river steamer to Rajmahāl on the East
Indian Railway, or to Damukdia Ghat on the Eastern Bengal State
Railway. The chief mart for the purchase and sale of silk cocoons
and silk thread is AMANIGANJ H.~kz,, the sales on a market day occa-
sionally amounting to a lakh. The most important centre of trade is
NAwnPGANJ on the Mahānandā, while Malda and ROHANPUR have
also an important rice trade.
No railway at present enters the District, but there is a project to
construct a branch line from Katihar to Sara Ghat or to Godagari
(to connect with an extension of the Ranaghat-Murshidabad branch
of the Eastern Bengal State Railway recently opened to traffic). Ex-
cluding 424 miles of village tracks, there are only 277 miles of roads,
of which 9 miles are metalled. The most important are those from
English Bazar to Nawabganj and to Rajmahal, and the Dinājpur road
branching off from the latter ; the road from Godagari to Dinājpur
passes through the south-eastern corner of the District. There are
32 ferries under the District board. The paucity of roads is due to
the excellence of water communications.
The Mahananda is navigable throughout the year by boats of
150 maunds up to Alal, the Tāngan for boats of loo maunds up to
Lalgola, and the Pcirnabhaba for boats of the same burden as far
as Dinājpur. Steamers belonging to the India General Steam Navi-
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