§10.]  Enguiries into the Discovery of the Essence of Roses. 
have been collected by Hackluit, Pur- 
chas, De Bry, Melchisedee Mieenat: 
Bergeron, Churchill, Harris, &c. not one 
has ‘spoken of the essence of roses: many 
of them describe the rose-water as a 
most pleasing perfume, and in terms 
which prove their ignorance of the other 
prepaiution, 
But a positive proof of what I have 
asserted, 15 derived fram the annals of 
the Moghul Empire, of which the authors 
were paris witnesses of the facts 
that they relate. 
We shall begin by consulting a Hlistory 
of the Grand “Moghuls, written in the 
Persian’ language ‘by Mohammed Has- 
hem; an important work, entitled, 
“ Parikh Montekheb lubab, or The au 
thentic Avridgment of ‘Chronicles,” 
This, which is preserved among the ma- 
nuscripts of the National Library, in 
Paris, passes rapidly over the reigns of 
Timur, and his descendants; and in 
fact, commences with the account of 
Baber, who in the year ae conquered 
Hindoostan; and it ends with the year 
1677; when Mohammed Shah was on 
the throne. The discovery of the ottar 
of roses is twice noticed in this History, 
aud in the most unequivocal manner : 
first, in a chapter entitled, Marriage of 
the Princess Nour Tehun,. with the In- 
habitant of Paradise, (that is, the lately 
deceased) Jehangir, the Inventions and 
Discoveries of the Queen of the World, 
&c. This Princess, Nour Jehan, (a title 
signifying, Light of the Universe,) was the 
celebrated beauty called also Bkzhr al 
Nesa, (or the Bright Sun of Women.) 
She inspired the Emperor Jehangir with 
so violent a passion, that to possess her 
charms he contrived the assassination of 
her husband; she even exercised the 
sovereign power, during the space of six 
months: and money was coined in her 
name: ‘but we: are not authorized in at- 
tributing to her (as is generally done) 
those rupees which bear the signs of the 
zodiac ; ‘for although struck under. the 
reign of. Je! hangir, they have quite a dif- 
ferent origin. ‘This fascinating’ woman, 
who employed every art to secure her 
influence over the monarch of Hin- 
doostan, introduced many innovations in 
the female dress, and we may’ say, In-. 
vented fashions, a circumstance before 
unknown in Asia: ou this sunject, the 
chapter above guoted, contains many 
curious detatis: but it will be sufficient 
to extract one passage, relating to the 
object which engages our attention. 
« The Essence of Rose-water wiich the 
t 
15 
Princess Nour-jehan first calied the Of. 
tar of Jehangir, (in compliment to the 
Emperor) and other perfumes of a more 
moderate value, and within the attain- 
ment of persons of small fortune, are of 
her and ner mother’s invention.” ‘The 
succeeding chapter, entitled, Hustory 
of the Seventh Year of Jehangir’s Reign, 
and of the Hestival of the New Yeur, 
&c. begins with some particulars more 
precise and satisfactory than the passage 
above given.—“ At-the commencement 
‘of this festival, the mother of Princess 
Nourjehan, having presented some €s- 
sence of roses which she had extracted, 
and the Emperor having approved of it, 
he thought proper to bestow on the dis- 
ean hisown august name, and it was 
called Ottar Jehangivi ; ; and to the prin- 
cess he gave a necklace of pearl, worth 
thirty thousand rupees; it 1s indeed a 
wonderful discovery, for no perfume 
can equal it; and its vivifying odour is 
grateful to angels, genll, andmen. The 
author of this work recullects, that the 
price of good Ottar Jehangiri, until the 
beginning of the reign of Aulumgir, (who 
20w resides in Paradise) was eighty 
rupees for a folah; whilst, ip our time, 
this same essence has fallen in price to 
eight or nine rupees per telah.” 
These two quotations agree perfectly 
with the following passage, from the His- 
tory of Hindostan, compiled in English ° 
by Mr. Gladwin, from numerous mate- 
rials collected with much labour and ex- 
pense, during a residence of twenty-three 
years in India, “The manner of making 
the ottar,” says this ingenious writer, 
“was at this time discovered by the 
mother of Nourjehan. ‘The ottar is at 
essential oil of roses, which floats in a 
very small quantity on the surface of 
distilled rose-water, whilst yet > and 
it is collected by means of a little bit 
cotton fastened to the end of a stick; 
is the most delightful of all mlnaee, 
and in fragrance equals the new-blown 
rose, ‘The Emperor, asa reward for the 
invention, bestowed on the lady/a neck- 
lace: of most precious pearls; and the 
Princess Selima Sultana, (one of the 
widows of Akt sat) wave it the name of 
Ovrar Jehangiri.” 
Thus have the Eastern authors, in my 
opinion, cleared up every doubt as to 
the epoch, and the author of this dis- 
covery; but none of them have indicated 
the manner in which the discovery was 
made: this, however, we learn from an 
European traveller. Manucci, a piiy- 
sician of Venice, during a residence in 
india 
