18] 3.] An Account of the Biddery Ware in India. 2fiS 



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 

 hooker and betel dishes, which are chiefly used on festive occa- 

 sions, are not left destitute of these ornaments; they are chiefly 

 decorated with silver, in the form of festoons, fanciful flowers, 

 and leaves. Sometimes I have seen a little gold interspersed. 



The way of inlaying them is very simple: but of course as 

 tedious as can well be imagined, and could be only practised 

 where 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 artist, 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 the same size as they are in the silver leaf, 

 and in this I have never seen they are mistaken. 



They do their work very expeditiously, and will make any 

 figure on copper with the greatest nicety, according to the 

 sample winch is laid before them. 



Note. — Mr. Wilkins informed Dr. Heyne that the Biddery 

 ware is likewise manufactured in Benares, and he thinks that 

 zinc is used as an alloy in that part of India. I examined a 

 piece of a metal statue which Mr. Wilkins considered as Bid- 

 dery ware : it was zinc alloyed with a very little copper. — T. 



Article V. 



Contributions towards a Chemical Knowledge of Manganese. 



By Dr. John. 



{Continued from p. 184.) 



Action of Oxymuriatic Acid on Sulphate of Manganese. 



When oxymuriatic acid gas (I allowed the gas, that it might 

 be pure, to pass in the first place through a very weak alkaline 

 solution,) is made to pass for some hours through a solution of 

 this salt, it is partly precipitated, and the precipitate becomes 

 still greater when the liquid is heated. A dark brown or black 

 oxide separates, and the solution contains uncombined acid. 



When the solution is so far evaporated that it congeals on 

 cooling, the greatest part of the black oxide is again dissolved. 



