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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[MAY, 1914,
pest and surest dealinge is to buye the serbundye and wynde it of my selfe and theron have resolved, havinge bought about 6 mds. more, And at present have thirty men at worke theron, purposinge to increase them to a hundred, and if you aprove therof and the price (which is cheaper then in Agra) I may have two or three hundred silk winderes to worke in the house all the yeare, wherof I praye advize your oppiniones, for to buye it from the Cottewalle [lotw 11, nawab's agent] it will cost or of a rupy dearer, and yet not soe good stufe ; and the first 6th and 7th sortes, beinge sent hence to Agra, will sell here for 20 par Cent. more then it is worthe heare, which course will much ease the price of the rest. And I purpo 3o also to dye and drese some of the Course sortea into sleave [floss) 11 silke and send you to bee sent for England as samples. It will wast the in the dresinge, and th, Charge herof be about it of a rupye the seare and will not stand in above 2 rup. per sere readye drest.
I have taken a house in the greate bazare, neare unto the Cutwalls choutrye [choultry, chabútra, office]; the rent 64 rupes per month. I have not herde from Agra since my departure thence, but expect John Banggam with some goods and monneyes formerlye advized for. Halfe my former exchange are runn out, And I hope to have the remaynder speedilye invested in Ambertyes, of which commoditye the partes about Lackhoure afords such quantitye that (by ths weaveres reportes) daly 1,000 peeces are taken from their loomes ; and without question you maye have 50,000 rupes yearlye invested therin if you aprove of the said sortes. Your order wherin and in the silke provisions for the aprochinge yeare I shall expecte. And not havinge elce at present, &c. &c.
rup. an. The Verourd [bardward) or proportion wound of from a sere of serbandy raw silke, containing 34 pices weight the sere: wounde of into seven severall sortes, and Cost net ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 00 more for the Charge of wyndinge it of ...
rup. an. 81 pices wt. waste or losse in the wyndinge it of rated at ...
00 00 6) pices wt. shekesty 12 or the 7th sorte at 141 anns. per sere is ...
. 00 03 4 pice wt. Cattaway13 or the 6th sorte at 1} rups. per sere is ... ... ... 00 02 24 pice wt. Gird1. or the first sorte at 4*t rup. tbe sere is...
00 061 124 pice wt. of the 2d, 3d, 4th and 5th sorts (of which this inclosed is the sample) rated at 41 rup. net per sere
... ... ... ... ... 01 094 34 pice wt. rated together and costs rup. net ... ... ... ... ... 020
and is as it is worth here at presant, about which price, within is more or lesse the seare, quantityes maye bee provided wound of acordinge to this sample and of the lenghths of theise skeynes 13
11 Tho O. E. D. defines sleave-silk as silk thread capable of being separated into smaller filaments for use in embroidery; floss silk.
19 Shikasta, broken, irregular (threads). 13 Katodi, imperfect, disooloured. 14 Gird, round, i. e., even quality. 1 Factory Records, Patna, L, 4-6.