1813.] An Account of the Biddery Ware in India. 261 



100 feet above the level of the surrounding country, and from 

 S. to N. six to eight miles in its diameter. The place is fortified, 

 has high walls and extensive outworks, particularly to the north- 

 ward; but whether strong, or otherwise, I am not competent to 

 judge. I found them very badly guarded ; as is generally the 

 case in the fortified plaoes belonging to the native powers of 

 India. 



As I had been always very desirous of learning the composi- 

 tion of the Biddery ware, and could get no information of it at 

 Hyderabad, I requested Cap. Sydenham, then resident at that 

 Court, to favour me with a dustuck (order) to the Governor of 

 Biddery (which place I was to pass on my way to join the detach- 

 ment at Joulna), to assist me in getting the desired knowledge. 

 I must observe here, that it is not only extremely difficult, in 

 general, for travellers, but almost impossible, without much 

 money, to acquire any information on a subject of the most 

 indifferent nature, without the concurrence and actual support 

 of the head-man of the place. At Biddery the jealousy against 

 Europeans of all classes is carried so far, that none are allowed 

 to enter the gates of the city, except such as are in the service 

 of the Nizam, and stationed in the fort. It happened fortunately 

 that the chief of that place had some favours to ask of Captain 

 Sydenham, and Mr. Russel, his assistant, whose kind assistance 

 in promoting my inquiries on this and all other occasions I have 

 gratefully to acknowledge: so that I received the dustuck with- 

 out much delay, just as I ascended the table-land. On pro- 

 ducing itat Biddery some oi'the manufacturers were immediately 

 sent to me in the choultry, under a guard of peans, with the 

 strictest orders that they should inform me of the whole and 

 every part of their mystery. I wished to go to their houses ; 

 but as this had not been mentioned in the order, and as they 

 lived in the city, I could not obtain permission. The men who 

 attended me complained of want, in an employment which in 

 former times had been the means of subsisting a numerous class 

 of their own cast, and of enriching the place, but which now 

 scarcely yielded lood to five families that remained. They are 

 of the goldsmith cast, which, together with some of other handi- 

 crafts, is the lowest of all sooders, though they wear the Brami- 

 Dical string. 



At their first visit thoy brought nothing but a lump of the 

 compound used for casting their ware, and a few vessels which 

 they had just in hand for inlaying them with silver, an operation 

 which they conceived would be of all the most attractive to a 

 curious faringa. As the metal in this state was divested of all 

 but its natural colour, 1 recognized it immediately as a com- 

 pound of which the greatest proportion is tin. It contained of 

 this metal 2* parts, and 1 of copper, joined by fusion. I wan 



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