OCCUPATIONS AND TRADE.
being very neatly finished and executed in tasteful colours. The articles made consist of cots, toys of various kinds for children, and small objects suited to European drawing-rooms, such as little boxes full of miniature lótas, tumblers, platters and the like.
At Naurangpur fancy objects, such as chains and fly whisks, are made of lac and are in some demand.
Mats, tatties, baskets, etc., are made from split bamboo in very many villages in the plains by Médaras, some Gúdalas and Godugulas, and by the wandering Yerukalas. The Yátas (the toddy-drawing caste) also make cheaper kinds from the leaves of the palmyra and date palms. In the Agency, this sort of work is not the exclusive function of one or two communities, but is done by most of the castes to supply their own needs.
The trade of the district divides itself into that carried by sea to and from its two ports and that carried by road and rail. The separate Appendix gives statistics of the former, from which it will be seen that in 1902-03 the imports at Bimlipatam were worth Rs. 9,79,000 and at Vizagapatam Rs. 3,11,000; and the exports respectively Rs. 32,17,000 and Rs. 10,71,000.
Although Vizagapatam is a better port than Bimlipatam, possessing a still-water channel in which surf boats can be loaded and unloaded afloat directly from the wharf, and although the fact that the railway runs down to it gives it all the manganese trade, yet Bimlipatam does a much greater export business for the reason that it lies nearer Vizianagram, the point through which all the carts from the Párvatípur and Jeypore Agencies must pass. Merchants who have brought their goods by cart all the way to Vizianagram naturally send them on by cart to the nearest port at Bimlipatam rather than transfer them to the railway to be railed to Vizagapatam. When the Vizianagram-Raipur line runs past the foot of the Jeypore ghát and on to Párvatípur, produce will travel by it direct to Vizagapatam port and Bimlipatam will no longer be able to obtain the lion's share of the export trade.
Of the average value of the imports at the two ports together in the five years ending 1902-03 (Rs. 14,97,000), more than half consisted of cotton twist and yarn (for the use of hand-loom weavers) or cotton piece-goods, and the only other item which amounted to as much as half a lakh was glass-ware. Of the average value of the exports in the same period (Rs. 50,16,000), gingelly seed and oil accounted for over 8 lakhs; other seeds for a similar sum; jaggery and hides and skins for over 7 lakhs each; the Vizianagram Mining Company's manganese ore for
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