30 MR. E. R. WATSON ON 



Banerjee describes the production of a deep, maroon colour by soaking the cloth 

 first in water prepared with myrabolams and green vitriol, and afterwards in bakam- 

 water. Cotton cloth was mordanted by 2 per cent, tannin solution followed by 

 working in a ferrous sulphate solution (2\ n Tw.) for 20 minutes, washed and worked 

 in bakam decoction at the boil for 30 minutes. A dull, purplish-black shade (full) was 

 obtained. 



To obtain a satisfactory red dyeing on cotton a European method was employed. 

 The cloth was mordanted with tannin and red spirits ' and worked at about 6o°C. 

 in an aqueous decoction of the wood for half an hour. Then a little red spirit was 

 added to the bath and the working of the cloth continued for another fifteen minutes. 

 In this way a very full and bright crimson shade was obtained. 



Palas. — Banerjee (loc. cit., p. 24). " The dyeing with palas is effected simply by 

 steeping in the infusion obtained by boiling the flowers in water. Alum is sometimes 

 added." 



(1) Aqueous infusion alone gave a pale, yellow colour. 



(2) To an aqueous decoction from 25 grs. flowers in 100 cc. water 7 grs. alum 

 were added ; a green, slimy precipitate was thrown down. This was strained off and 

 the clear, bright orange liquid used for dyeing. After 30 minutes' immersion cotton 

 cloth was dyed a medium orange shade. 



Latkan. — Native processes described in considerable detail by Banerjee (loc. cit., 

 p. 24). 



" When silk is dyed with latkan the process, as described in the report from Mur- 

 shidabad, is to mix a powa and a half of latkan seeds with 15 seers of water and half 



a seer of sajimati, and to boil the whole with the silk to be dyed Cotton may 



be dyed in the same way. In Nadia the colour is made fast by the following process : 

 ' The bark of the babul is pounded and boiled with water in an earthen pot. If cotton 

 cloth is to be dyed, the cloth is steeped in the decoction thus prepared and kept for 

 24 hours. After drying it in the sun it is steeped and kept for 12 hours in latkan solu- 

 tion obtained by boiling latkan seeds in water. The cloth is again dried in the shade 

 and then steeped for six hours in babul water. It is dried again and then washed 

 with pure water.' This gives a fast orange colour." 



Cotton cloth was dyed both by the Murshidabad and Nadia processes. In both 

 cases a full bright orange shade was obtained . 



In following the Murshidabad process, the cloth was boiled in the decoction for 

 o minutes. 



1 Cloth mordanted with tannin and red spirits was used for several dyeings. It was prepared 

 always according to the following description : — 



Enter the cloth into a boiling 3 per cent, tannin bath and work till the bath has become cold. 

 Wring out and enter into a bath red spirits 1 in 32. Work for one hour and wash well. 



To prepare red spirits: — Take 3 parts, by measure, muriatic acid and 1 part nitric acid, with 1 part 

 water. Put the vessel containing the mixture into a cool place and add, in small quantities at a time, 

 feathered tin, in the proportion of 2 ozs. tin for each pound of acid. A few hours after the action has 

 ceased , the spirits are ready for use. 



