VOYAGE FROM INDIA TO SIAM AND MALACCA. 63 



Amongst the articles chiefly manufactured in this place is a 

 kind of lacquer work, more common here than anywhere else in 

 India, one sees therefore* cheridans, beds, old chairs, sunshades, 

 the tops of palanquins, painted in this manner, art having the 

 least part in these productions, but the nature and kind of 

 varnish being most important. This varnish is said to be brought 

 hither from Aidrabath and the Sellinique name used here, as 

 well as the one used in Malabar, show that it must have been 

 taken or prepared from a tree, for in both languages it is called 

 Rogganonne, which may be translated into *• prepared oil." This 

 oil looks somewhat yellow, but is clearer than linseed-oil, at the 

 same time it is thicker than the latter. It has little smell, neither 

 aromatic nor smoky, its taste is somewhat nauseous and acid, it 

 mixes easily with turpentine, and it forms in this mixture an 

 excellent varnish which can be used even with white colour. It 

 resists the effects of air and water and even the hammer, and 

 the colours covered with this varnish are very durable and 

 never alter with time. The native painters cover the silver in 

 their pictures with it, and so produce the effect of gilding, but in 

 this case the lac is dissolved with it. For ordinary painting- they 

 dissolve in it a kind of copal, which is commonly known in India 

 under the name of Damar. All I could learn from the painter 

 who is in the service of the local arsenal was, that it is made from 

 a shrub, growing to half the height of an ordinary man, bearing 

 a kind of long husks, out of the round seed of which this oil is 

 pressed, and furthermoie that its name is Stavensettoader or 

 according to the German pronunciation, Agassetti or Agosissetti. 

 According to what he said, these shrubs grow a little below 

 Massulipatam, on the banks of the Kisna stream, however one 

 can give but little credit to what the natives say, therefore 1 

 left further investigations to my friend Dr. Campbell. 



13-14. — I explored the country in order to get more acquain- 

 ted with its nature. The flora was extensive because it had 

 rained several times a short while ago. I made a small collec- 

 tion of all the plants I found in bloom, which were more than 

 three hundred, but amongst them were few interesting to me. 

 The calderer plant § which is also called (hiatus in Mss. ) formed 

 here the ordinary hedge for the gardens. It is particularly fit for 

 this purpose as it grows to 2 or 3 men's height and very close 

 * ? Shandrydan. § Probably an Aloe Agave. 



