The chief imports into British India are,—ap parel, coal, cotton twist and manufactures, liquors, machinery and mill-work, metals, provisions, rail way plant and rolling stock, silk, raw and manu factured, spices, sugar, and woollen goods. In the progress since the opening of the Suez Canal, British India is now competing with some of these. Indian mills have taken strong hold of the market for the lower qualities of twist. Of metals nearly 80 per cent. consisted of iron, which always forms the largest item in this category. Sugar conies third in the list of imports, the value being 1,48,08,805 rupees. Indian beer costs but 5i rupees a dozen at Simla, as against 9 rupees a dozen charged for English beer. • Imports of various light German beers have largely increased. The imports of raw silk and silk goods amount to nearly a kror and a half (about £1,500,000), the raw silk being valued at about 56,75,000 rupees. This may be due to a decline in the silk-weaving industry in India. The import of coal, coke, and patent fuel has fallen off. Very little coal is landed in Calcutta, the bulk of it going to Bombay, which is too far from the deposits of Central India to be able to avail itself of their product with profit.
In 1881-82 the value of the foreign merchan dise re - exported from India was 2,64,67,165 rupees.
The re-exports are mainly goods consigned in the first instance to Bombay, and then re-exported to. ports in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea, Zan zibar, and the eastern coast of Africa. More than half of these consist of cotton twist and piece-goods (chintzes and prints), amounting to 1,32,47,706 rupees in value.
In 1881-82, the declared value of the opiun3 exported was 14,32,33,143 rupees, the largest sum it had attained. Grain and pulse were valued at 17,24,07,506 rupees, the two most important of these being rice amd wheat. The exports of raw cotton, twist, yarn, and manufactured, were 16,94,64,755. The first mill for the manufacture of cotton yarn and cloth by steam machinery was opened in Bombay in 1854. Since then others have been established in various parts of India, but mostly in the city of Bombay and in the cotton growing districts of Gujerat. In 1878-79 there were 58 cotton mills in India, containing million spindles and 12,000 looms, which employed up wards of 40,000 persons,—men, women, and chil dren. India commits enormous waste by exporting rapeseed, linseed, and til (Sesamum orientale) in a crude condition, instead of expressing it on the spot, and obtaining thereby a valuable food for cattle and land fertilizer in the shape of oilcake. The manufacture of jute on a large scale was unknown until 1857, but there were 21 jute mills in India in 1881.
Indian tea exported was 48,691,7251bs., valued at 3,60,01,360 rupees. The cultivation of tea and coffee has taken deep root in India, and a large amount of European capital and indigenous labour is absorbed by these industries. No less than 664,326 a,cres were taken up in 1878 in connection with tea cultivation, though only 200,000 acres were actually planted with it. The quantities of coffee exported have hardly increased during the last 11 years, prices have largely augmented, coffee being now worth nearly double what it was at that time. The quantity exported in 1881-82 was 346,364 cwt., mainly the produce of Mysore, Coorg, and tho W3rnad district of Malabar. Moro could be done in the Indian tobacco trade if the Indian leaf could be obtained of somewhat better quality, tho French and Italian tobacco departmente being both quite prepared to take Indian tobacco in large quantities, if it coUld bo supplied of a suitable quality. It is gradually advancing in public estimation in India and abroad. Tho quantity exported in 1881-82 was 10,530,325 lbs., value 11,50,380 rupees.
Inland Frontier Trade crosses the long land frontier of India on the north, stretching from Baluchistan to Independent Burma.
In 1878-79, the value of tho imports a.nd ex ports of the inland trade was Rs. 8,85,37,193, viz.: Baluchistan, Es. 16,45,943 Manipur, . . Rs. 94,524 Afghanistan, . 1,49,88,783 Hill Tiperah, . 1,27,032 Kashmir, . . 81,61,169 Lushai Hills, . . 77,183 Ladakh, . 2,59,212 Towang, . . . 4,19,632 Tibet, . . 16,47,566 Upper Burma, 3,77,64,717 Nepal, . . . 1,90,31,355 Siam, . . . 12,14,858 Sikkim, . 1,81,025 N. Shan States, . 8,06,076 Bhutan . . 2,75,980 S. „ . 53,805 Eastern Hills,. viz. : Karenni, . • 7,19,882 Naga and Mishmi,1,07,642 Zimmay, . . . 59,195 Agriculture.—Tha extent to which the popula tion of India are dependent upon the land, may be realized partly from tho census returns, which show us that 74 per cent. of the adult male population derive their support from the land either directly or indirectly.
Merchants.—The internal trade of India has never been estimated ; it greatljr exceeds tho ex ternal commerce. In the interior of tho Bombay Presidency, business is mainly divided between two classes, the Bhattia or Banya of Gujerat, and the Marwari froin Rajputana. The former are Vaish nava Hindus of the Valabhacharya sect, the latter are Jains. In the central parts of the Dekhan and Mysore, their place is taken by Lingaets, who follow tho Vira Saiva form of Hinduism ; but along the eastern seaboard the predominating classes of Hindu tmders are the castes named Chettiar, Komati, and Natha Cottiyar. Many of the trading castes of Hindus still claim Vaisya descent.