BUILDINGS IN INDIA. 379 



3d. The interior as well as the exterior walls are all of the same 

 thickness, because our houses sink altogether about six inches, 

 or more, and the partition walls in a terrace roof have to sustain 

 their share of the weight with the outer ones. We build the 

 lower story two feet six inches, the second two feet, and the 

 third one foot six inches thick; but you may build your first 

 story two feet, the second one foot nine inches, and the third 

 one foot six inches thick; as you may use bond timber, from 

 which we are precluded by the ravages of the white ant. 



4th. The exterior plaistering is made of three parts washed 

 sand, and one of stone lime, laid on in the common way, but 

 rubbed with a small bit of wood until it sets — the joints arc first 

 well opened with a bit of crooked iron. 



The inside work is done the same way, and with the same 

 materials, and when dry, coated with shell lime. The shells are 

 cleaned before they are burnt, and when taken from the kiln, 

 the whole are cleaned and picked from the dust (which is a dirty 

 lamina, that falls oft' in the calcination) and put into a trough, 

 where they are triturated and slacked with a little water, and 

 when mixed to a thick consistence, deposited in earthen jars, 

 or other vessels, for use. 



When to be used, a bed of sand or clay is made on the 

 ground, hollow in the middle, and covered with coarse cloth. The 

 lime is strained through a hue cloth that is placed about two 

 or three feet above the bed. — It is mixed with clean water, 

 in order to pass the tine parts in solution through the strainer — 

 the coarse is rejected. It must lie three or four days on this 

 bed to cool, before it is used, or the work will crack. It is mix- 

 ed with a sufficient proportion of milk that has undeigone a 

 fermentation by (even, so that the whole is in a curd, without 

 any whey. Of this material the quantity is ascertained by raixii i. 

 a little and plaistering on a tile. — In line work, ttie white of 

 eggs is used in large quantities, and in some cases a small quan- 

 tity of caicined agate, pulverised — but this kind of work will 

 never answtr in your country, as the labour is very expensive. 

 It is the work of many days after the plaister is on, to rub and 

 wipe it; otherwise it would crack on the surface, and so long 

 as a crack appears, the rubbing must be continued. 



