PERFUMES OF THE ROSE. 



189 



temperature of different seasons, the period of bloom at 

 which the roses are picked, the process of manufacture, 

 and the skill of the manufacturers. Generally, a hundred 

 pounds of roses will scarcely produce a drachm of attar, 

 sometimes only half a drachm, and at others a drachm 

 and a half. Bishop Heber states that in India, at Gbaze- 

 poor, two hundred thousand well-grown roses are requir- 

 ed to produce one rupee's (165 grains) weight of attar. 

 The calyx is somethnes used with the petal, but as the oil 

 of that contains little or no perfume, although it may in- 

 crease the quantity of attar, it must sensibly weaken its 

 properties. 



The color of attar is generally green, sometimes lemon 

 or rose color, and occasionally brownish. These differ- 

 ences in color are owing to the various i3rocesses of manu- 

 facture, and the different periods at which the roses are 

 picked. The attar is prepared in Barbary, Syria, Arabia, 

 Persia, India, in the island of Scio, at Fayoum, in Egypt, 

 at Tunis, and many other places in the East. That made 

 in Syria and Barbary is considered very inferior ; while 

 the best is made in Chyraz, Kerman, and Cashmere. In 

 some 23arts of France and Italy it is also prepared, but in 

 comparatively small quantities. 



The attar is very costly, although not so dear as for- 

 merly. The French traveler, Tavernier, who visited Ispa- 

 han about the year 1666, stated that the price of attar at 

 Chyraz rose and fell every year on account of the unequal 

 produce of flowers ; and that an ounce of that article 

 sold, at one period, for ten tomans (about ninety-two 

 dollars). 



^ At the time another Frenchman, Chardin, traveled in 

 Persia, some years after Tavernier, the attar was some- 

 times much higher. He states that forty pounds of rose- 

 water were required to produce half a drachm of attar, 

 an ounce of which sometimes sold in India for two hund- 

 red ecus. Langles states that in India half an ounce of 



