ATTAR OF EOSES- 



571 



covered vnth wetted muslin, tied over to prevent insects or dust getting into 

 it ; this vessel is let into the ground about two feet, which has heen previously 

 wetted with water, and it is allowed to remain quiet during the whole night. 

 The attar is always made at the beginning of the season, when the nights are 

 cool ; in the morning the little film of attar which is formed upon the surface of 

 the rose-water dm-ing the night is removed by means ot a feather, and it is thea 

 carefully placed in a small phial ; and, day after day, as the collection is made, 

 it is placed for a short period in the sun, and after a sufficient quantity has been 

 procured, it is poured off clear, and of the color of amber, into small phials. 

 Pure attar, when it has been removed only three or four days, has a pale greenish 

 hue ; by keeping it los:s this, and in a few weeks' time it becomes of a pale 

 yellow. The first few days distillation does not produce such fine attar as 

 comes off afterwards, in consequence of the dust or little particles of dirt in the 

 still and the tube being mixed with it. This is readily separated, from its sink- 

 ing to the bottom of the attar, which melts at a temperature of 84 degrees. From 

 one lac of roses it is generally calculated that 180 grains, or one tolah, of attar 

 can be procured ; more than this can be obtained if the roses are full-sized, and 

 the nights cold to allow of the congelation. The attar purchased in the bazar 

 is generally adulterated, mixed with sandal oil, or sweet oil ; not even the richest 

 native will give the price at which the purest attar alone can be obtained, and 

 the purest attar that is made is sold only to Europeans. During the past year 

 it has been selling from 80 to 90 rupees the tolah ; the year before it might have 

 been purchased fcr 50 rupees. 



General Eemarls. — Xative stills are let out at so much per day or week, and 

 it frequently occurs that the residents prepare some rose-water for their own 

 use as a present to their friends, to secure their being pro-^ided with that which 

 is the best. The natives never remove the calices of the rose-flowers, but place 

 the whole into the stiU. as it comes from the garden. 



The best plan appears to be to have these removed, as by this means the rose- 

 water may be preserved a longer time, and is not spoiled by the acid smell occa- 

 sionally met with in the native rose-water. It is usual to calculate 100 bottles 

 to one lac of roses. The rose-water should always be twice distilled ; over ten 

 thousand roses water may be put to allow of sixteen or twenty bottles coming 

 out ; the following day these twenty bottles are placed over eight thousand more 

 roses, and about eighteen bottles of rose-water are distilled. This may be con- 

 sidered the best to be met with. The attar is so much lighter than the rose- 

 water, that, previous to use, it is better to expose the rose-water to the sun for 

 a few days, to allow of its being well mixed ; and rose-water that has been kept 

 six mouths is always better than that which has recently been made. 



At the commencement of the rose season, people from all parts come to make 

 their purchases, and very large quantities are prepared and sold. There are 

 about thirty-six places in the city of Ghazeepore where rose-water is distilL'd. 

 These people geneially put a large quantity of sandal oil into the receiver, the 

 oil is afterwards carefully removed and sold as sandal attar, and the water put 

 into carboys and disposed of as rose-water. At the time of sale a few drops of 

 sandal oil are placed on the neck of the carboy to give it fresh scent, and to many 

 of the natives it appears perfectly immaterial whether the scent arises solely 

 from the sandal oil or from the roses. I^arge quantities of sandal oil are every 

 year brought up from the south and expended in this way. 



6. The chief use the natives appear to make of the rose water, or the sandal 

 attar as they term it, is at the period of their festivals and weddings. It is 

 then distributed largely to the guests as they arrive, and sprinkled with pro- 

 fusion in the apartments. A large quantity of rose water is sold at Benares, 

 and many of the native Eajahs send over to Ghazipoor for its purchase. Most 

 of the rose water, as soon as distilled, is taken away, and after six months from 

 the termination of the manufacture there are not more than four or five places 

 where it is to be met with. 



I should consider that the value of the roses sold for the manufacture of 

 rose water may be estimated at 15,000 to 20,000 rupees a year; and from 

 the usual ])rice asked for the rose water, and for which it is sold, I should 

 consider there is a profit of 40,000 rupees. The natives are very fond of 

 using the rose water as medicine, or as a vehicle for other mixtures, and 



