574 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1817. 



it in various directions. After 

 this had been diied for some time 

 in the sun, the wax was liquified by 

 putting the form in a phice suffi- 

 ciently heated, and discharged 

 through the hole, by which the 

 melted metal is poured in to occupy 

 its j)lace. It is scarcely necessary to 

 say, that when the metal is suffi- 

 ciently cooled the form is broken, 

 and the vessel found of the desired 

 shape. 



Colouring the ware with the 

 standing black, for which they are 

 celebrated, is the next, and in my 

 opinion the most remarkable ope- 

 ration. It consists in taking equal 

 parts of muriate of ammonia and 

 saltpetre earth, such as is found 

 at the bottom of old mud walls 

 in old and populous villages in 

 India, mixing them together with 

 water, and rubbing the paste 

 which is thus produced on the 

 vessel, which has been previously 

 scraped with a knife. The change 

 of colour is almost instantaneous, 

 and, Avhat is surprising to me, 

 lasting. 



The saltpetre earth of this place 

 has, when dry, a reddish colour, 

 like the soil about Biddery. It is 

 very likely that the carbonate, or 

 oxide of iron, which it contains, 

 is essentially necessary for the 

 production of the black coloiu-. 

 The muriate and nitrate of lime, 

 which is in considerable propor- 

 tion in all earth from which salt- 

 petre is manufactured in India, 

 may be perhaps not an useless in- 

 gredient in this respect. 



The hooka-botton.s of this ware 

 happen sometimes to get tarnished, 

 acquiring a biovvnish, or shillering 

 colour, which is easily removed, 

 and the black restored, by rubbing 



the whole surface with a little oil 

 or butter. 



As nothing looks handsome in 

 the eyes of an Indian, but what is 

 glittering with gold or silver, it 

 may be imagined that their hooka 

 and betel dishes, which are chiefly 

 used on festive occasions, are not 

 left destitute of these ornaments ; 

 they are chiefly decorated with 

 silver, in the form of festoons, 

 fanciful flowers, and leaves. Some- 

 times I have seen a little gold in- 

 terspersed. 



The way of inlaying them is 

 very simple ; but of course as te- 

 dious as can well be Imagined, and 

 could be only practised whei'C time 

 is of little value. The parts of 

 the projected figure are first cut 

 out in silver leaf, which are placed 

 in a piece of broken earthenware 

 before the aitist, who cuts with 

 a pointed instrument the same 

 figure on the vessel, applies the 

 silver leaf, piece after piece, and 

 gently hammers it into its place. 



The greatest skill consists in 

 tracing the pieces of the figure on 

 the vessel exactly of t\\e same size 

 as they are in the silver leaf, and 

 in this I have never seen them 

 mistaken. 



Tliey do their work vel*y expe- 

 ditiously, and will make any figure 

 on copper with the greatest nicety, 

 according to the sample which is 

 laid before them. 



Note. — Mr. Wilkins informed 

 Dr. Heyne that the Biddery Avare 

 is likewise manufactured in Be- 

 nares, and he thinks that zinc is 

 used as an alloy in that part of 

 India. I examined a piece of a me- 

 tal statue, which Mr. Wilkins con- 

 sidered as Biddery ware : itwaszinc 

 alloyed with a very little copper. 



USE 



