Department of Industries Bengal. Report on the Survey of Cottage Industries in Bengal

The unrest caused in the country by the movement had the effect of several hundreds of looms of the Serampore fly-shuttle type originally introduced by the Danes being adopted by the weavers. [...] The principal hand-weaving centres in the district of Howrah may be called extensions of the Serampore area these being mainly in the northern part of the district within the jurisdiction of thanas Domjur Jagatballaypore Amta and Bagnan. [...] If the making is on the basis of individual measurements the rates are fixed according to the nature of the work but in the majority of cases clothing of standard sizes are made in bulk for which the prices are paid by piece-work. [...] The bending of the baboos for the umbrella handles is done as follows: The hollow portion10 which is to be bent is first filled with sand and IJ shaped iron corresponing to the size of the crook of the handle is heated in an open fire and the bamboo after being fixed at one end of the iron is gradually bent over to take the necessary shape. [...] Flour milling.—The cottage in the rural areas grind their corn with the aid of two flat circular stones one of which is fixed in the ground while the other is made to revolve on it round a wooden pivot placed in the centre of the fixed stone by means of a wooden peg which is driven into the periphery of the moving stone.