be quite the same, the fabrics are said to want the fineness of those made in Cashmere , and to have a degene-rated and coarse appearance. This superiority has been ascribed to some peculiar quality of the water in thevalley of Cashmere ; but it is most probably owing to a variety of circumstances, which, though each may appearof little importance, collectively give a character to the manufacture.”
Napoleon imported goats from the East into France; but these were not, as has been stated, of the Thibet breed; being brought from Talish, on the western bank of the Caspian Sea . The Cashmerian goat has beenbred in England by His Royal Highness Prince Albert (who exhibited specimens of the wool, and of fabricsmade from it), and by Mr. Power, of Weald Hall, Essex; but there is reason to believe the real Thibet goatwould in this climate yield but a comparatively small quantity of that peculiar down, or shawl-wool, whichconstitutes its natural provision against the intensely cold and piercing winds of its native region.
From the plains of Thibet the wool is conveyed to Rodokh (or Rudak), on the backs of sheep of apeculiarly large breed. Rodokh is the principal rendezvous of the wool-merchants, who convey the materialfrom thence to Leh (or Le), the chief town of the province of Ladakh , where it is purchased by the merchantsof Cashmere , and carried to the seat of the manufacture on the backs of men and horses. The value of thewool annually imported for shawls alone, is stated by Hfigel at 34,000/. One goat produces two pounds ofwool annually; and besides the distinctions of quality already mentioned, the material is sorted, according to thecolour of the animal producing it, into white, and dark, or ash-coloured; the former for plain, and the latterfor dyed fabrics. One-third of the whole is of the latter description, and whilst the white wool was worth atthe time of Vigne’s visit to Cashmere about 45. a pound, the dark wool was only half that price.
The wool is first separated from the short hairs of the animal,—a process which greatly reduces its quantity.Vigne states that “ one-fourth only of the quantity bought is fit for weaving.” It is then cleaned by washing;in which operation rice-flour is used as an abstergent, instead of soap. The wool is then spun by the handsof women, whose toilsome occupation only enables them to earn a sum equal to 25. 6d. a month. The yarnis next dyed; and in this part of the manufacture, which is preserved hereditarily in particular families, greatability is displayed. About forty different tints are generally used (although the dyers offer to supply no lessthan sixty-four); some of these are obtained by extracting the colours of European woollens. Thus, theordinary baize of England supplies some of their finest greens, and also a light blue. The fine pale yellowcolour of a new shawl is given after weaving, by exposing it to the fumes of sulphur. The yarn, whendyed, is dipped in rice-water, to strengthen it, and render it fit to sustain the rapid motion of the shuttle.The shawls are always woven in pairs, and the thread for a large pair weighs fifteen or twenty pounds.Hamilton states that when a merchant enters upon this trade, he engages several shops or looms in onespot, so as to be under his own inspection; sometimes he adopts the plan of giving out the thread to work-people, who carry on the manufacture at their own homes.
We gather from the report of the Sub-Committee appointed to investigate the subject of the varieties ofCashmere shawls, proper to be exhibited, some interesting particulars in relation to the ordinary designs forthe finest kinds. It appears that they are regularly classified and priced; and that the Dosliallas, or longshawls, which are invariably manufactured and sold in pairs, are divided into regular classes, such as theKhale Mitton, or plain-field shawls; the Poor Mitton, or full-flowered fields; and the Chaud Dar, &c.,which are more irregular, and consist either of a moon or circle in the centre, four half-moons, green sprigs ona plain ground, a group of flowers at the corner, or any combination of these. The principal colours are white,black, crimson, scarlet, purple, blue, green, or yellow. Fine long shawls, with plain fields of handsome patterns,are procurable at about 1200 rupees per pair, and full-flowered at about 1500 rupees. It appears from Moorcroft’saccount, that the design is drawn in black and white only by a man called a “Nakash,” or pattern-drawer,and is by him brought to the overseer of the works, who carefully studies and determines the various coloursof every portion of it. Beginning at the foot of the pattern, he then calls out the colour and the number ofthreads to which it is to extend, that by which it is to be followed, and so on in succession, until the wholepattern has been described. From his dictation the particulars are written down in a kind of short-hand,and a copy of the document is given to the weavers.
Thus it is that preparation is made for the actual operations of manufacture, a portion of the subjectsupon which we trust to be shortly enabled to enter.