412 On the Manufacture of Rose-water and Utur. QMay, 



by numbers of men, women, and children, and are conveyed in large bags 

 to the several contracting parties for distillation. The cultivators them- 

 selves very rarely manufacture. 



The native apparatus for distilling the Rose-water is of the simplest 

 construction ; it consists of a large copper or iron boiler well tinned, ca- 

 pable of holding from eight to twelve gallons, (shaped like the ear- 

 then hoondahs in which the Gomastahs send in their Opium) having 

 a large body with a rather narrow neck, and a mouth about eight inches 

 in diameter ; on the top of this is fixed the head of the still, which is no- 

 thing more than an old dekchee, or cooking vessel, with a hole in the 

 centre to receive the tube or worm. 



This tube is composed of two pieces of bamboo, fastened at an acute 

 angle, and it is covered the whole length with a strong binding of cord- 

 ed string, over which is a luting of earth to prevent the vapour from 

 escaping. The small end, about two feet long, is fixed into the hole in 

 the centre of the head, where it is well luted with flour and water. The 

 lower arm or end of the tube is carried down into a long necked vessel 

 or receiver, called a bhubka. This is placed in a handee of water which 

 as it gets hot is changed. The head of the still is luted on to the body, 

 and the long arm of the tube in the bhubka is also well provided with 

 a cushion of cloth, so as to keep in all vapour. The boiler is let into 

 an earthen furnace, and the whole is ready for operation. 



There is such a variety of Rose-water manufactured in the bazar, 

 and so much that bears the name, which is nothing more than a mixture 

 of sandal oil, that it is impossible to lay down the plan which is 

 adopted. The best Rose-water however in the bazar may be computed 

 as bearing the proportion of one thousand Roses to a seer of water ; this 

 perhaps may be considered as the best procurable. From one thousand 

 Roses most generally a seer and a half of Rose-water is distilled, and 

 perhaps from this even the Attar has been removed. 



The boiler of the still will hold from eight to twelve or sixteen 

 thousand Roses. On eight thousand Roses from ten to eleven seers 

 of water will be placed, and eight seers of Rose water will be distilled. 

 This after distillation is placed in a carboy of glass, and is exposed to 

 the sun for several days to become puckah ; it is then stopped with 

 cotton, and has a covering of moist clay put over it; this becoming 

 hard effectually prevents the scent from escaping. The price of this 

 will be from twelve to sixteen rupees. This is the best that can be 

 procured. 



To procure the Attar, the Roses are put into the still, and the water 

 passes over gradually as in the Rose-water process ; after the whole 

 has come over, the Rose-water is placed in a large metal basin, 



