Chap.XXIV. Malabar and Coromandel. 
5 
a Foot above the Ground i which being 
dry'd in the Sun for 24 Hours, they are 
put into Barrels full of Salt-water, of a 
Man's heighr, and kept down to the bot- 
tom, by laying great Stones upon them, 
the better to iqueeze out the Tinfture. 
The Water being ftir'd often for 4 or 5 
days, it is let out into great Casks, where 
it is ftir'd and trod continually by certain 
Perfons, till the Water thickens, and the 
Indigo fettles ro the bottom, in the fame 
manner as they manage the Butter in Hol- 
land. The Sediment being feparated from 
the Water, and ftrain'd thro thin Cloths, 
is fpread upon the Ground (firftcover'd 
with white Afhes) to dry. 1 he Country 
People adulterate the Indigo with a cer- 
tain Earth of the fame colour, or with 
Oil, to make it feem the better upon the 
Water. The fecond Year the Indigo 
grows again on the Stalks that were left 
in the Fields, which is accounted better 
than the Gingy or wild Indigo. If you 
intend to preferve the Seed, you muft let 
the Stalks dry the fecond time, and after- 
wards gather the Seed. The Indigo of 
the third Year's growth is of little value, 
and confumed for the moft part by the 
Inhabitants of Gufurattc in dying their 
Linen and Woollen Cloths. 
Its Good- The chief Signs of thegoodnefs of the 
^^f^' Indigo are, its Lightnefs and feeling dry 
betwixt the Fingers, itsfwimming upon 
the Water, and, if thrown upon burn- 
ing Coals, its emitting a Violet-colour'd 
Smoke, and leaving but little Afties be- 
hind. The Ground v^hich has born the 
Indigo muft lie fallow the fourth Year, 
unlets you would fow it with fome Kitchen 
Herbs. 
Hereabouts alfo grows the Indigo call'd 
Aniel de Biant^ by thofe of Gufuratte. They 
fow it in June in light and fandy Grounds, 
and it grows chiefly in jKwe, July, Auguji 
and September^ the ordinary rainy Months 
here ; which together with the Heat of 
the Sun-beams brings it to Maturity, it 
being certain, that too much Rain is per- 
nicious to this Shrub. Great care is to be 
taken that the Grounds be well cleared 
from Thorns and Thiftles, The Buyers 
of Indigo ought to be cautious how they 
buy it i for if it happen to be not very 
dry, they may lofe three Pound weight in 
ten in 8 days time. 
37jelndigo The Indigo Laura , or Jndigo de Bayana^ 
Laura, of three different forts : The firft Crop 
h call'd Fouthy by thofe of Gufuratte, the 
fecond Gerry^ and the third CattteL The S^ld^ewc^ 
firft is cut in Oilokr, the fecond about the wVNi 
middle of November^ and the third in Ja- 
nuary. The firft is of a light blue Co- 
lour, and held againft the Sun, and 
fqueez'd with the Nail of the Thumb, 
fliews a Violet Colour. The fecond, call'd 
Gerry^ the nearer it approaches to a Vio- 
let Colour, the more valuable it is. The 
third, callM Catted^ is the worft of all, 
of a ruddy colour, and fo hard, as fcarce 
to be broken to pieces. 
The goodnefs of the Indigo is try'd in fj^H^^i 
the following manner: About 9 or loa ^ " 
Clock in a clear Sun-fiiiny Morning they 
take a Piece or two, and after they have 
broken it in pieces, hold it againft: 
the Sun, to fee whether they can difcover 
any Sand in it: They alfofqueeze with 
their Nails forae of the Colour out, which 
the nearer it comes to a Violet, the 
better it is. They alfo try it with Water 
and Fire: They throw a Piece of ^adigo 
40 or 50 times fucceffively into a Cask filFd 
with Water, and the longer it fwims up- 
on the Surface, the better it is deem'd. 
They alfo caft a Piece of Indigo upon 
burning Coals, and if the Smoke or Flame 
appear of a high Violet Colour, the Indi- 
go is good. 
It isfowed in feveral Places : The/«- 
digo Laura about ^gra *, in Fettapour^ 1 2 
Cos from y^gra ^ near the City of Byana^ 
so Cos from Jgra ( where is the beft ) Good ladi- 
near the City of Bajfaune^ 38 Coi from go « ^(T^ 
Agra j near the City of Kindowen, 40 Cos cofomR- 
from Jgra. The Country People are ob- 
liged to carry their Indigo into the nex6 
adjacent City. 
Next to Mafulipatan we muft alfo fay 
fomething of Bimilipatan, where the 
Dutch have had a Fadory a conliderablc 
time ago, and from thence, as well as 
moft other Parts of Orixa, tranfport a- 
bundance of Rice, Peafe, and other Pro- 
vifions, into other Parts. The whole 
Country hereabouts enjoys a wholefom 
Air, tho in one Place more than in the; 
other : For tho the Heats are exxelTive, 
nay almoft intolerable, yet are the fame 
in a great meafure qualified by the cool 
Sea-Winds ; fo that the reafon of the 
many Diftcmpers and pale Countenances, 
which often attend the Europeans in thofe 
Parts, is not fo much to be attributed to 
the Unhappinefs of the Climate, as to 
their own Intemperance and Debauche- 
ries. 
Vol. IIL 
Q.qqq 2 
CHAP. 
