260 An Account of the Biddery Ware in India. [Oct. 



Article IV. 



An Account nf the Biddery Ware in India. By Benjamin 

 HeynS M.D. Naturalist to the Hon. East India Company 

 at Madras. 



The Hindoos have since time immemorial not only excelled 

 their neighbours in the management of metals for useful and 

 curious purposes, but they are even familiarly acquainted with 

 alloys unknown to our practical chemists. 



Among those in general use that have drawn the attention of 

 Europeans living in India, are the alloys for the gurry, and the 

 Biddery wure. 



The gurry is a disk of a cubit and upwards in diameter, about 

 half an inch in thickness in the centre, but decreasing toward 

 the circumference, where it is scarcely more than \ of an inch. 

 It is used to mark the divisions of time, by striking it with a 

 wooden mallet. The sound is in general remarkably clear, full, 

 and loud, when it is properly managed. In common they are 

 suspended on a triangular pyramid made of three bamboos tied 

 together at top. They are used in all large cities, at the cutivals- 

 choultr}', at the houses and cutcheries of great men, at the main 

 guard of every battalion, and head-quarters of every detachment 

 of troops. Some commanding officers have them even near their 

 doors, to the annoyance of their visitors, whose ears are not so 

 blunted and insensible as their own. In short, they are the 

 regulators of time and business in all India. The exact propor- 

 tion of the compound of which they are made I do not recol- 

 lect, but I believe it is somewhat variable, as the gurries are 

 prized according to the place where they have been manufac- 

 tured. 



The Bidderv ware is used particularly for hooker-bottoms, and 

 dishes to hand betel about to visitors, where more precious 

 metals are not attainable. It is of a black colour, which never 

 fades, and which, if tarnished, may be easily restored. To 

 relieve the sable hue it is always more or less inlaid with silver. 

 It is called Biddery ware from the place where it was originally, 

 and I believe is still exclusively, made; for though the people of 

 Bengal have utensils of this kind, I have nowhere seen any new 

 ones for sale, which would be the case were they manufactured 

 there. 



Biddery is a large city, about 60 miles N. W. from Hy- 

 derabad, formerly the seat of mighty Kings, and one of the 

 largest, or best places of the Dekan, belonging to the Nizam. 

 It is situated on the eastern brink of a table-land, which is about 



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