326 On the Manufactures carried 07i at Bangalore, 



be put into the vat ; and then there must be added 10 secr^ 

 (6yVirg-lb.) of powdered soiduj or impure soda, 12 setrs 

 (7tVJ^0 of quicklime, and two seers of ihe ley of pot-ash 

 (137 cubical inches). The whole is then stirred with a 

 stick, and the mouth of the pot is covered up. Every even- 

 ing and morning, for four days, three seers (206 cubical 

 inches) more of the icy must be added ; and in the last por. 

 tion must be put about the size of an apple of quicklime. 

 The vat now rests for three days ; when four or five seers of 

 boiling waier must be added to it, and the vat is then ready 

 for dyeing. The ley of potash is prepared as follows : Burn 

 to ashes the branches of the ctf//i {euphorhmm tirucalli), or 

 of the titrayena {achyranthes muricata) : of these ashes put 

 2 seers (I i V o-o^^-^ ^^"^^^ ^ P°^ ^" ^^^ bottom of which there 

 IS a small hole. The hole is covered with a small inverted 

 cup, and that by some rice husks or chaff. Above these 

 are put the ashes, and on them are poured by degrees 23 

 seers, or about 6 ale gallons of water, which filters through 

 the hole in the bottom of the pf)t, and forms the ley. It 

 must be observed, that the water used by the Niligaru is al- 

 ways either that called here salt; 6r that which is found in 

 places abounding with calcareous tttffa. 



The indigo vat having been prepared, an estimate is 

 formed of the number of seers weight of cotton that it will 

 dye. For every seer weight of cotton thread pass a seer 

 measure of water through the pot containing the ashes, and 

 in this weak ley dip the seer of cotton ; wash it well, and 

 then wring out the water. The solution of indigo is then 

 divided into five equal parts. The thread is dipped, by 

 seers weight at a time, into these pots, till the colour in 

 each is exhausted ; and what does not obtain a proper co- 

 lour in the first, after being dried, receives repeated dips, 

 until the colour arrives at the required intensity. The so- 

 lution of indigo is kept for a month, and every night a little 

 lime-water is added : this enables it to give some more co- 

 Jour, which next day is again exhausted by dyeing some 

 more cotton. The colour given by one dip is called mavi, 

 and is a sky-blue ; that which is given by five dips in a 

 strong pot, is of an intense colour, nearly approaching to 



^ ^ blacky 



