1841.] of Hunwnkoonda. 391 



virtue in a high degree must be rare indeed. The Sp. gr. ranges 

 from 4-3 to 4-8, which would give nearly an average of 4,-5. From this 

 I am inclined to think, that malgre the deficiency of attractive power, 

 the ore is a tolerable rich one ; I may add that of all iron ores the black 

 is the richest ; by possessing it Sweden is still able to surpass great 

 Britain in the manufacture of the metal. 



Besides the morinda citrifolia the wool dye, which is cultivated on the 

 regur soil, the Oldenlandia umbellata (Cherwell or chay root) grows wild 

 here in great plenty. A man and his wife can easily gather forty bundles 

 in a day, which they sell to the dyer for 4 annas; it is employed 

 to dye cotton of a red and orange colour. The Oldenlandia is cultivated 

 on the Coromandel Coast. It is very probable that the dying properties 

 of the wild, excel that of the cultivated, for dyes often follow the same 

 law which renders the smell and taste of the wild plant, growing in a 

 state of nature, stronger than those carefully attended. 



The dying process is very tedious, occupying; forty days and upwards. 

 Five or six pieces of Indigofera are met with here, but one species only, 

 the Indigofera cseralea, is used for the preparation of Indigo. It is col- 

 lected in the rains when the dye is commonly made, the method of prepar- 

 ing which is sufficiently simple. A strong decoction is made of the plant, 

 leaves, flowers, pods and twigs, being all indiscriminately thrust into a 

 gurrah ; when this is hot an infusion of Eugenia jambolana (rose apple 

 tree) the indigo is immediately precipitated and the superincumbent water 

 being drawn off, is dried in the sun. 



The native plan of mounting the indigo vat merits attention : a potash 

 ley is prepared from the ashes of the Euphorbia Tirucalli (milk bush 

 hedge) and lime ley, mixing them together and then filtering. In this 

 ley seeds of the Trigonella fanum-grecum and Cassia Tora are boiled, 

 and the liquor being strained, is poured into the water drawn off, after the 

 precipitation of the Indigo, and the Indigo itself is then put in and some 

 more potash ley is added. 



In three or four hours the fermentation is perfected, and the vat fitted 

 for the purposes of the dyer. The theory of this vat is very obvious, ex- 

 tractive matter derived from the liquor in which the Indigo was first 

 boiled, with the sugar, starch, and mucilage, of the two leguminous seeds, 

 cause a fermentation by which the Indigo is rendered soluble in the 

 alkaline solution. 



The process is more simple than that usually followed by dyers in 

 Europe, and is in perfect accordance with every rule of practical chemis- 



