228 



ON THE WEAPONS USED 



preparations, and its qualities in this respect are so well 

 known that every school boy is acquainted with them and 

 prepares his own powder and mixture with this plant. Its 

 name in Tamil is erukku, in Malayalam eruka, in Telugu 

 jilledu, in Bengali akund, and in Hindustani mudar or ark. 



b. The smi/il, snuh, (triangular spurge, kalli in Malayalam, 

 pasdn kalli in Tamil, bontajammudu in Telugu, narashy, 

 seyard in Hindustani and narsy in Bengali) grows like the 

 arka in waste places all over the Indian Peninsula. The 

 qualities of this plant for pyrotechnic displays are as well 

 known as those of the Calatropis gigantea. Dried sticks of 

 this plant are scarce. It is also widely used as a medicinal 

 plant, externally against rheumatism, and internally as a 

 purgative ; it is given to children against worms. 112 



c. The rasona is a kind of garlic ; the Marathi equivalent 

 is lasuna. Its botanical name is Allium sativum. 



The prescription for making gunpowder is, according to the 

 Sukramti, as follows : mix 5 parts of saltpetre with 1 part of 

 sulphur and 1 part of charcoal. The charcoal is to be pre- 

 pared from the arka, snuhi, and other similar plants in such a 

 manner that during the process the plants are so covered 

 that the smoke cannot escape. The charcoal thus obtained 

 must be cleaned, reduced to powder, and the powder of the 

 different charcoals is then to be mixed. After this has been 

 done, the juice of the arka, snuhi, and rasona must be 

 poured over the powder which is to be thoroughly mixed 

 with this juice. This mixture is to be exposed and dried in 

 the sun. It is then finally ground like sugar and the 

 whole mixture thus obtained is gunpowder. 113 



112 With respect to the snuhi there exists a Tamil proverb, reflecting on its 

 leafless state and big growth. It runs as follows : " There is no leaf to con- 

 tain a mustard seed ; but there is shade to shelter an elephant." (cfs®^.*^ 



@}%5vaSl<M%so ; lurr&sr&tbdS ®^(Lpz&r®)— Compare also : The Useful 

 Plants of India, by Major Heber Drury, 1858, p. 100-102. 



113 See Chapter V, si. 141, 142. 



