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TRADE
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THE fame of Chaul as a centre of trade from the earliest historical times till the end of the sixteenth century shows that, when the political state of the country was favourable, the whole traffic across the Sahyadris from the Par pass in the south to the Tal pass in the north centred at Chaul. In Mr. Nairne's opinion the largest share of the traffic came to Chaul through the Bor pass. [The probable route was from the Bor pass to Panvel; from Panvel by water to Nagothna; from Nagothna across the
hills to Roha; and from Roha down the Kundalika river, Ind. Ant. III. 101.]
1826.
In 1826 three lines of communication passed from Poona to Kolaba.
A road sixty-three miles long, of which twelve miles were within
Kolaba limits, left Poona by the Save pass, crossed the Bor state, and entered Kolaba at Unhere. From Unhere the road passed through Rahubgaon and Chikni and reached Nagothna. The Poona-Ratnagiri road, 163 miles long, of which, thirty-eight were within Kolaba limits, entered the district by the Sevtya pass. After crossing the Raygad-Kal to Duevar, the road passed through Birvadi, Kharoli, Matvan, Kangulu, and Divi, and crossed the Savitri to Poladpur. From Poladpur the road crossed the Satvaki river about twenty-two times, and left the district by the Gogra pass about ten miles south of Poladpur. From Poona to Ghodegaon there were two lines, one of sixty-five miles, of which eighteen were within Kolaba limits, entered the district by the Kumbha pass. After crossing the Nizampur-Kal the road passed through Tarmari and Kadapa. It then crossed the Nizampur-Kal to Sirsad and Borvadi, and, before reaching Ghodegaon, passed through Harondi, Karmbeli, Tamana, Phulasgaon, Hatkeli, Talegaon, Kuronda, and Vadgaon. The other line of fifty-six miles from Poona to Ghodegaon was across the Devsthali pass. After leaving this pass the road passed through Umardi and Siroli; and from Siroli there was a good road to Ghodegaon. Besides these lines of communication there were from Dasgaon on the Savitri three roads, one to Nagothna in the north, a second to the top of the Sevtya pass in the northeast, and a third to Khed in the south. The Dasgaon-Nagothna road, thirty-eight miles long, ran much arong the present Nagothna-Mahabaleshvar road. The road to the top of the Sevtya pass, twenty three miles long, crossed the Gandhari to Mahad; it then passed through Chambharkhind, and crossed the Savitri to Kondivta and Rajavadi; it again crossed the Savitri and passed through Akla, Bhorava and Kharoli, and, after crossing the Raygad-Kal,
reached Birvadi. It then passed through Kalij, Ambshet, Padvi,
Vaki, and Kumbha- Sivtar. The Dasgaon-Khed road, twenty-seven
miles long, crossed the Savitri, passed through Kosimbi and Tudil,
and left the district about threemiles south of Tudil. The Pen-Panvel
road, twenty-one miles long, completes the list of roads mentioned
by Clunes. After leaving Pen this road crossed the Bhogavati by
a stone bridge of fourteen arches, nine feet wide without a parapet.
It then passed through Tarankhop and Irvadi, and, then through
bush-covered hills to Balauli, and left the district at Kharoshi. [Clunes' Itinerary, 38-41, and 78-79.]
1840.
In 1840 three lines of communication passed from, Pen to
Alibag in the Angria's territory. One of forty-five miles, through Nagothna, Sambri, and Poynad to Alibag was the only route by which land communication for cattle and passengers upon any large scale was kept up with the Kolaba state. The second of thirty-two miles, through Kasu, Sambri and Poynad, was not much frequented. The third of twenty-four miles was through Dharamtar and Poynad. Owing to the difficulty of crossing the creek at Dharamtar, foot passengers seldom came by this road during the rains, and, at other times, the only safe mode of bringing animals along it was by dragging them upon their sides over the mud. [Mr. Davies' Letter", 28th November 1840, in Government Political Record 1107. To give greater facilities by the Dharamtar route, Mr. Davies recommended that a road and a causeway should be made from the water's edge on the Pen side of Dharamtar to the village of Vadkhali,] The one advantage of the Dharamtar route was that it gave the readiest access to Revas and Underi in the north and Chaul and Revdanda in the south.
1881.
In 1881 there were twelve roads of the total length of 187 miles.
Of the twelve roads, three with a length of fort-eighty miles were bridged, and nine with a length of 139 miles were fair-weather roads. The main trunk road till lately started from Nagothna on the Amba, at the extreme limit up to which it is navigable for small craft at high water. In 1864, a road thirteen miles long was begun from Nagothna to a point 1½ miles east of Dharamtar. Besides several culverts and much earth-work, two bridges were built at a total cost of £15,151 (Rs. 1,51,510). From want of funds the road remained unfinished till 1881, when the work was pushed on and the road between Dharamtar and Nagothna was finished. From Nagothna it passes fifty-six miles through Kolad, Mangaon, Mahad, and Poladpur to the foot of Mahabaleshvar. Between Nagothna and Mangaon the road is crossed by about seven streams, of which the beds of three are paved, and one, the Nizampur-Kal near Mangaon, is bridged. In the rains the road is not fit for carts; all burdens are carried on men's heads or on horseback. The Amba which is not fordable till November is crossed at Patansai and the Kundalika at Kolad by ferry-boats. After leaving Mangaon, at intervals of a hundred yards, the road is crossed by channels one or two feet deep lined with rough stones. These channels carry off the water in the rains, but they are dry during
the fair season. Three miles south of Mangaon the road passes over the Talegaon and Dasgaon range of hills, and, at Mahad, crosses the Gandhari which is not fordable for carts from an hour before to an hour after high-water. After leaving Mahad the road crosses the Savitri which is fordable in the fair season, and is crossed by a flying bridge during the rains. After passing through Poladpur, the road leaves the district at Kineshvar. Along its whole length the road is met by many cross lines. From Kolad on the main line, about ten miles south of Nagotlina, a road runs west to Roha on the Kundalika. During the fair season there is much rice traffic, along this road, Roha being the chief rice centre in this part of the country. A rough local-fund road runs seven miles, from Nizampur to a point about a mile to the north of Mangaon on the main line; This cross line for the first part of its course, is level; it then climbs a low forest-clad hill round the edge of which it winds. The road overhangs a deep brook, the sides of which are covered with dense undergrowth, and then falls sharply to the Nizampur-Kal which it crosses. From Lonere, on the main line five miles south of Mangaon, a gravelled and partially bridged road runs two miles west to Ghodegaon. This is an important cross line of traffic in the fair season. Two
cross lines meet the main line at Mahad, one of four miles to Nateh in the north, and the other of twelve miles to Vinhere in the south. Beyond the Savitri and about two miles east of Mahad the main line is met by a road nine miles to the root of the Varandha pass in the east, and by another of 16½ miles from Mahapral along the south bank of the Savitri in the west. [As this road places the Deccan by the Varandha pass, and the Southern Maratha-Country by the FitzGerald pass, in connection with a harbour which is accessible at all times of the tide, it is named the Mahapral, Varandha, and FitzGerald pass road.] The Varandha pass road, which was built in 1867, is metalled and has two large bridges besides culverts.' During the fair season, all these cross lines have much traffic, chiefly in dried fish, grain, chillies, and cocoanuts.
Besides the main trunk road and its branches, there is a fifteen mile road from Revas to Alibag, which, till lately, was the only route during the rains for Alibag passengers to Bombay. From Dharamtar east to Khopivli at the foot of the Bor pass, there is a first-class road of twenty-five miles. During the fair season large numbers of carts pass along the road, bringing onions, oil, potatoes, molasses, oilcake, chillies, wheat, gram, bajri and tur, and taking rice and salt back to the Deccan. Between Alibag and Dharamtar there have long been roads from Alibag to Khandala, at the west foot of the Karli pass, and from Vagholi at the east foot of the pass to Dharamtar. In 1880-81, at a local fund cost of £2637 (Rs. 26,370), a new line was opened over the Karli pass, thus completing the Alibag-Dharamtar road and opening a through traffic from Khopivli to Alibag. The Alibag-Dharamtar line of thirteen miles, being two miles shorter than the Alibag-Revas road, is preferred to it by passengers from Alibag to Bombay. In 1880-81, from Indapur on the Nagothna-Mahabaleshvar road to
Tale on the west, and from Tale to Malati on the Mandad creek, fair-weather roads were made, opening a passage for the Mangaon produce to the sea.
Of passes and footpaths across the Sahyadris, beginning from
the south, there are, the PAR pass, near Kineshvar, about fifteen miles south-east of Mahad. This is a mere footpath, leading to Mahabaleshvar, though formerly (1826) it was much frequented by Vanjaris bringing grain and salt to Satara from the Konkan. It is still fit for men and cattle, but is not much used on account of the opening of the FitzGerald pass. Half a mile to the north of the Par pass near Kapdekhurd is the FITZGERALD pass, forming a part of the road that runs to Satara. The FitzGerald pass road, which is twenty miles long, has much traffic; rice, cocoanuts, betelnuts, salt, dried fish, date, coir, English cloth, and groceries of all kinds, valued at £6000 (Rs. 60,000) a year, pass from Mahad to Vai and Neher in Satara, and wheat, gram, bajri, juvari, math, chillies, turmeric, coriander-seed, onions, garlic, groundnuts, betel-leaves, oil, oilcake, tobacco, molasses, blankets, and native cloth, valued at, £4500 (Rs. 45,000) a year, come from Vai and Neher in Satara to Mahad. There is a toll on the pass road at Kapde-Budrukh, which yearly yields from £160 to £190 (Rs. 1600-Rs; 1900). The DHAVLA and KAMTHA passes, about 5½ miles north of the FitzGerald pass and leading through the Bor state to Vai, are fit for foot travellers, but are not much used. Five miles north of the Kamtha pass near the village of Varandha is the VARANDHA pass, which forms part of the road through Hirdoshi and Bor to Poona. The pass road, which was constructed about 1867 by the Satara public works department, is thirteen miles long and has much traffic, cocoanuts, dates, salt, dried fish, rice, and betelnuts, valued at £15,400 (Rs. 1,54,000) a year, going from Mahad to Bor, Phaltan, and Poona, and wheat, gram; bajri, juvari, math, onions, garlic, potatoes, groundnuts, chillies, turmeric, coriander, oil, oilcakes, tobacco, and native cloth, valued at £7000 (Rs. 70,000) a year, coming to Mahad. A quarter of a mile north of the Varandha pass is the UMBARDA pass near Mazeri; which, leading along Umbarda and Hirdoshi to Bor, is fit for men and unladen cattle, but is less, frequented. Four miles north of Umbarda is the GOPYA pass, near Shivtar, from which the route leads through Gonde to Poona. Though fit for men, and with difficulty for laden cattle, it is scarcely used, being too near the Varandha pass. One mile, north of the Gopya pass is the AMBENAL pass, near Ambe-Shivtar, and leading to Poona. It is fit for men, but has almost no traffic. One mile north of the Ambenal pass is the MADHTA pass, near the village of Vaki-Budrukh, in the petty division of Birvadi and leading to Poona. In 1826 it was accessible to cattle though bad and tedious. It is now fit for laden cattle, and is chiefly used by the people of the hilly tracts of western Poona carrying dried fish and salt. Half a mile north of the Madhya is the. SHEVTYA pass, leading along Pangari and Torna in the Bor state to Poona. In 1826 it was difficult for cattle or led horses. At present it is fit for men and for unladen cattle, but it is very little used. Six miles north of the Shevtya pass is the KAVALYA pass, near the
village of Kavale, in the petty division of Nateh in Mahad. In
1826 it was a bad road for cattle, but was sometimes used by Vanjaris.
At present (1882) it forms part of the road that runs through
Gholdabsara and Ambigad to Poona. It is barely fit for laden
cattle, and is very little used except by foot passengers. Eight miles
north of the Kavalya is the KUMBHA pass, running through the village
of Mashidvadi. In 1826 this pass was 7½ miles long and was a
succession of rises and falls. It was reported to be the best pass in this
part of the range, perfectly suitable for cattle of all kinds but not for
carts. At present (1882) it is a footpath fit only for men without
loads the ascent being steep and very difficult. Four miles north of
the Kumbha pass is the LINGA pass, lying near the village of Jite
and fit for men and laden cattle. Two miles north of the Linga
is the NISNI pass, which runs through the limits of Umbardi. It is
merely a footpath, has a difficult and steep ascent, and is fit
only for men with light burdens on their heads. Six miles north
of the Nisni are the TAMHANA, DEVASTHALI, and THIBA passes, within
the limits of Vile, fourteen miles north-east of Mangaon. These
are merely footpaths and have a difficult and steep ascent, the
Tamhana and the Devasthali passes being unfit for cattle, and the
Thiba pass being fit only for men without loads. Four miles north
of the Tamhana pass is the PIMPEI pass, which, running through the
limits of Patnus near Nizampur, is fit for men and 'laden cattle, and
is much used.
Besides the Sahyadri passes or ghats, there are within the district eleven chief gorges or khinds through the smaller ranges of hills. Of these eleven gorges, two are in Alibag, five in Pen, two in Roha, and two in Mahad. On the lately (1880) finished Alibag-Dharamtar road, about five miles north-east of Alibag in the Sagargad range, is the KARLI pass two miles long, fit for cart traffic all the year round. About four miles south of the Karli pass is the PIR pass, with one mile of bad fair-weather road used by carts with difficulty. On the Dharamtar-Khopivli road there are three passes, the
KHACHAR about three miles west of Pen, the GAGODE about six miles east of Pen, and the DAHIVALI at the extreme limit of the district, all fit for cart traffic; about three miles north-east of Pen is the GOVIRLE, fit for cart traffic. About six miles to the south of Nagothna, pn the Nagothua-Mahabaleshvar road, is the SUKELI, fit for carts. About half a mile from the Roha creek, on the direct footpath between Alibag and Roha, is the CHAVRE pass fit for bullocks only. About four miles north of Roha is the BHISE, which is so steep on both sides that carts cannot cross it. On the Nagothna-Mahabaleshvar road, immediately north of Dasgaon, is the DASGAON pass fit for carts; and on the road which runs north from Mahad to Nateh, about a mile north of Mahad, is the CHAMBHAR pass also fit for carts.
There are eight toll-bars in the district, one at Mandva on the
Alibag-Revas road, two at Karli-Khind and Kamarli on the Alibag-Khopivli road, and five at Nagothna, Varasgaon, Pachpale, Chambhar-Khind, and Kineshvar on the Mahabaleshvar road. All are yearly sold by auction to contractors. The amount realised in
1881-82 was £1581 (Rs. 15,810), of which £1479 (Rs. 14,790) were on Provincial and £102 (Rs. 1020) were on Local Fund roads.
The largest bridge, with six fifty-feet spans, is one across the
Nizampur-Kal at Mangaon. Besides the two recently finished (1881) masonry bridges on the Dharamtar-Nagothna road, one with twelve spans and the other with four spans of twenty-five feet each, there is at Nagothna a masonry bridge, built in 1580 at a cost of £30,000 (Rs. 3,00,000) by Kazi Ala-ud-din of Chaul, to facilitate the march of troops from Ahmadnagar to Chaul. In 1820 the bridge was described as 480 feet long, 9¾ feet broad inside the parapet and fourteen feet outside the parapet, and nineteen feet high. The span of the main arch was 22¾ feet and the bridge required much repair. [Bom.
Rev. Rec. 16 of 1821, 341 -342; and Nairne's Konkan, 38.] The bridge is at present (1882) much used by foot travellers, the approaches not admitting of the passage of carts., The masonry work is much exposed, and the bridge is about to be repaired. On the Dharamtar-Khopivli road there are three bridges, one across the river near Pen on masonry piers with brick and lime arches and five forty-feet spans; a second of masonry with four twenty-five feet spans on the Gorna river; and a third of masonry across the Kali of three twenty-five feet spans. On the Mahad and Varandha pass road there ar two masonry bridges, one over the Savitri with seven forty-feet spans, built in 1867, and a second over the Bhavira- with five twenty-two feet spans. On the Alibag-Revas road there are two bridges on masonry piers with brick and lime arches, one with five twenty-five feet spans and a second with six twenty-five feet spans.
There are wooden piers for disembarking passengers at Dharam-
tar and at Revas on the Amba. The Dharamtar pier was constructed in 1868 at a total cost of £1653 (Rs. 16,530) chiefly from income-tax balances. [This total was made up of Rs. 12,000 from income-tax balances, Rs. 2000 from the Port Trust,
Rs. 2000 from the Coast and River Steam Navigation Company, and Rs. 530 from the Local Funds.] During the last ten years the Local Funds have contributed about £1219 (Rs. 12,190) towards its repairs. The Revas pier was also constructed from income-tax balances at an estimated cost of £11,892 (Rs. 1,18,920). It was begun in 1864 and finished in 1869. During the last ten years the Local Funds have contributed about £1314 (Rs. 13,140) towards its repairs.
The Harbour Steam Ferry plies daily between the Carnac Wharf
in Bombay and Revas and Dharamtar. The steam-ferry boats, which vary from
100 to 200 tons, start every noon from Carnac Wharf, reaching Revas at 1 P.M: and Dharamtar at 2-30 P.M. The same boat returns to Bombay, leaving Dharamtar at 3 P.M., Revas at 4 P.M., and reaching the Carnac Wharf at 5-30 P.M. The average daily number of passengers varies from 150 to 200, to and from Bombay, Ravas, and Dharamtar. [The fares are from Bombay to Revas, first class 4s. (Rs. 2), second class
1s. 6d. (12 as.), and third class 9d. (6 as.); and to Dharamtar, first class 6s. (Rs. 3), second class 2s. (Re. 1), and third class 1s, (8 as.). Horses and carriages are charged 6s. (Rs. 8) to Revas and 8a. (Rs. 4) to Dharamtar. ]
There are thirty-one ferries in the district, four across the Amba,
four across the Kundalika, five across the Savitri, four across the
Raygad-Kal, and the remaining fourteen across smaller rivers and
creeks. Of the thirty-one ferries, sixteen work throughout the year
and the remaining fifteen during the rainy season only. The most important ferries are those between Roha and Revdanda on the Kundalika, and between Dharamtar and Nagothna on the Amba. [The Kundalika and Amba ferries were abolished in 1881 (Gov. Res. 1442, 6th May 1881), as it was doubtful whether the passage up the Amba and the Kundalika rivers was technically a ' ferry,' and as it seemed likely that passengers would not suffer by leaving the supply of boats to open competition.] Except those between Alibag and Sakhar of ¼ mile across the Sakhar creek, between Dharamtar and Vave of ½ mile across the Amba, and between Salav and Revdanda of ½ mile across the mouth of the Kundalika river, the ferries are served by small boats varying in burden from ¼ to 1¼ tons (1-5 khandis). Except that between Revas and Dharamtar, which is a first class ferry, the ferries of the. district belong to the fourth class.
The number of crew in each boat varies from one to three. The boats carry passengers and personal baggage, but little merchandise. The ferry rates are
9d (6 as.) for four-wheeled carriages; 6d. (4 as.) for palanquins; 4½d. (8 as.) for two-wheeled carriages and loaded carts; 3d. (2 as.) for empty carts, camels, and litters; 1½d. (1 anna) for loaded ponies, horned cattle, mules, and loaded or unloaded horses; ¾d (½ anna)
for unloaded ponies, loaded or unloaded mules, foals, and asses; ⅜d. (¼ anna) for passengers and headloads; and
⅛d. (1 pie) for sheep, goats, pig, and dogs.
Besides a Collector's bungalow at Nagothna; and four travellers' bungalows for Europeans, one each at Nagothna, Indapur, Dasgaon, and Poladpur, there are in all forty-three rest-houses or dharmshalas, for the accommodation of native travellers. Of these, sixteen, one each at Ranjan-Khardavli, Mandva, Sakhar, and Sambri, two each at Revdanda, Alibag, Poynad, and the Revas pier, and four at the Dharamtar pier, are in Alibag; nine, one each at Vasi, Pen, Kamarli, Siravli, Vadkhal opposite Dharamtar pier, Vave, Nagothna, Bense, and Kasu, are in Pen; three, one at Roha and two at Kolad, are in Roha; five, one at Indapur and two each at Mangaon and Pali, are in Mangaon; and ten, one each at Mahad, Shedav, Kondivti, Poladpur, Kineshvar, Varandha, and Gote-Budrukh, and three at Dasgaon, are in Mahad. There are also small bungalows built by the engineering department as store-houses, which are sometimes used by travellers.
Kolaba forms part of the Konkan postal division. It contains fourteen post offices, of which one at Alibag is a disbursing office, and the remaining thirteen at Birvadi, Dharamtar, Ghodegaon, Kihim, Mahad, Mangaon, Nagothna, Nateh, Nizampur, Pen, Revdanda, Roha, and Tale are sub-offices. The postmaster of the disbursing office draws a yearly salary of £84 (Rs. 840). The sub-postmasters in charge of offices, except Birvadi Nateh and Nizampur, receive a yearly pay varying from £12 to £36 (Rs, 120-Rs. 360). The
Birvadi Nateh and Nizampur sub-offices are in charge of village schoolmasters, each receiving a special yearly remuneration of £4 16s. (Rs. 48). For delivering letters at important stations there are seven postmen, whose yearly salaries amount to £67 4s. (Rs. 672). In villages letters are delivered by village postmen numbering twenty-three in all. Of these sixteen, with yearly salaries
varying from £10 16s. to £12 (Rs. 108-Rs. 120), are paid from the Imperial postal establishment; while the remaining seven, of whom there are two grades one receiving a yearly salary of £10 16s. (Rs. 108) and the other of £12 (Rs. 120), are paid from provincial funds.
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