( 99 ) 



93. I have endeavoured to picture the daily life and surroundings of the 

 average cultivator of this district. It is beyond the province of this memo- 

 randum to describe the trades, except in BO far as they are directly connected 

 with agriculture, as I think I may consider that of the potter, the gram 

 parcher, and the cotton cleanor. 



94. Potters take three parts clay from the village pond, and one part 



. " pili" matti, which is found in most, but not all, villages 

 The potter, Kumhar. 



a few feet from the surface. As it is wanted it is 



brought in and pounded well with a mallet (monyri), and then sifted through a 

 basket of arhar stalks. It is then kneaded (gundhna) with water with the hands, 

 and afterwards with the feet (khtindhna). It is then put on a stool (pirha) of 

 baked earth, mixed (rondhna) with the hands and divided into lumps (londa) of 

 five seers each. The wheel (chak) is a yard in diameter, thickening from circum- 

 ference to centre from ttfo to three inches. It is made of the same earth as pots, 

 which is made more adhesive by being mixed with beards of the rice plant 

 (stkur). It weighs about two maunds. lu the centre of the wheel below a square 

 piece of stone about the size of the palm of the hand, costing six pies, is fastened, 

 with a slight hollow (ghdr) to catch the peg on which it revolves. The peg 

 (gaodum] is made of well-seasoned tamarind wood, eight inches long, and 

 pointed, and costs three pies (a wheel will last two years, is made in two days, 

 and dries in fifteen). The wheel is caused to revolve by a stick placed in a hole 

 near the edge. This stick is called "chaketi," is a yard long, and is taken out 

 when the requisite speed is obtained. 



95. The lump of earth is now placed on the centre of the revolving 

 wheel and the pots fashioned according to will, the hand being kept wet. 

 When the shap (dhancha) is worked out it is separated from the wheel by a 

 string. One day's manufacture is put aside in a shady place where the wind 

 comes to half dry (phararha). Next morning each pot is stretched and harden- 

 ed by being patted outside (garhna} with a stick (thdpfy against a ball of hard 

 earth held inside, which is prevented sticking to the half-dried pot by old ashes 

 from the kiln or river sand. The top is patted before the bottom (penda), as 

 thinner and drying more quickly : and the pot is put upside down on its mouth 

 to dry. During the above operation the pot is not allowed to touch the 

 ground, but is kept in an earthen platter (Mnda}. The pot is ready for tha 

 kiln in three to fifteen days according to season, 



96. Meanwhile water has been prepared (nitharnd) by being mixed 

 with " pili matti, " which is allowed to settle, and with it rod ochre is mixed 

 and spread over the upper half of the pot with a " pochara." The water 

 makes the colour viscous (las-ddr) : sometimes babiil gum is used instead. 



