718 Memorandum on Nurma Cott07i. [No. Ii7. 



adds, that Mr. Bruce, now in Bundlecund, can give every information 

 relative to it. 



The Persian name Nurmah, {Nurm, "soft,") being applied to a similar 

 article both in Khorassan and in Malwah, would seem to go far to induce 

 the belief, that the Pathan conquerors of the latter country must have 

 introduced this peculiar cotton into the country they subjugated. The fact 

 is worthi noting, as it is not often that disproof of so positive a character 

 can be adduced against the common assertion, — that the Mussulman con- 

 querors of India came rather to destroy totally, than to improve by even 

 partial means. iTi 



Report on some Articles of Trade sent by Lieut. Fostans from 

 Khorassan. By H. Piddington, Esq. 



I. Guljuleel, — This is evidently the yellow flower of a plant. It is 

 however so broken up, that I could with difficulty pick out a few 

 entire flowers for sending to Dr. Wallich, whose severe illness has 

 hitherto prevented my obtaining any reply. He thinks them the flowers 

 of a Delphinium. 



It is stated to be used for dyeing green, of course with indigo. 

 I find that with the common aluminous mordant, it dyes silk and wool 

 a very handsome canary yellow, as per margin ; which with indigo be- 

 comes a very good green.* Having but very little of it, I did not ex- 

 periment further, because I thought it might be better to send it home. 

 The yellow resists coarse soap and water well. 



In sending it, or any future sample home for trials, great care 

 should be taken to pack it dry. I found that exposed in paper it ab- 

 sorbs moisture very rapidly, and had a slight mouldy smell, so that 

 I was obliged to dry and keep it in a stoppered bottle. 



II. Bhoj-ghmid. — This is, I think, a new sort of galls. It is wide- 

 ly different in shape and appearance from ours, being a small pyriform 

 brown capsule, much resembling a miniature dried pear ; it is hol- 

 low and empty, the shell being of a gummy elastic consistence, wholly 

 differing from the Aleppo gall. 



* It has no affinity to Cotton. 



