OLDENLAiNDIA UM
sappnn) and alum, whicli lias been prepvocl a clay ovlwo (the Malabar
painlcrs boil il.e liappan wood, as memionccl before Ibi dying);
iiiid those ilua are to be purple, blue, or green, with tlieir sliades,
arc done with the martial solution, called by the Gentoos Cassim,
which has been already taken notice of-
Thc ( hints painter's pencil is the most simple that can be conceived
; a small bit ol' bamboo or other stick, tapering to a point
like a skewer, and split at the point for about one inch, with a
bit of rag or a litlle hair tied round it about an inch from the
point, in"forra of a ball; this receives and retains the colour enrployed,
and the point of the pencil is kept moist by gently squeezing
the moistened ball, whicli is easily done by the hand diat holds
the pencil; with wonderful dexterity a good painter will run over
a p.( nfcl 1 thi!
"Fourth d;iy. The operation of delineating the outlines of the
figures being over, the eloth washed in cold water and halfdried, a
decoction of chay root is prepared, about ten or twelve ounces in
powder to each gallon of water, su/Ticient to cover the cloth perfectly,
so as to let it be easily moved about in the liquor dining the
bciling, which must be gentle, and for about an hour and ;m half;
the cloth must remain in the liquor till perfecdy cold, it is theti
washed out in cold wate¡-, and dried.
Fifth d.iy. The next work is to repeat the first part of the operation.
vi/., to wet well the half finished cloth in a mixture of powdered
caduca)- nuts in milk and water, and dr)' it in the sun oi- shade.
Sixth day- Tiie pans that are to be of the best and bi'ightcst
red arc now shaded with an infusion of turraerick and alum in cold
water, (such as was employed on the fourth day in dying red) those
that ave to be red-purple (the literal translation of the Telinga
%vords ycrra-bannas, which is a deep bro^^•nish purple) have the
light shades covered with wax, \^•lúcll is done with the common
printing pencil above described and melted wax; when finished,
these pans are to be done over with tlie following mixture; cassim
one pan, sour conjee (pullagalll of the Telingas) and infusion of
sappan wood, each fo\ir parts; the wax prevents this colour from
tinging the parts it adheres to; the work is dried in the shade, and
pin by for that day.
Seventh da)-. It is washed in cold watei', when half dry boiled
in a decoction of the roots, ason the fourth day, and when cold well
wrung out, and immediately wetted in the mixture of milk, water,
and caducay, as on the second day, only the proportion of milk is
diminished, dried, and put by till next day.
Eighth day. The parts tliat are to be of the best red, as mentioned
on the -sixth day, have the parts that arc to be shaded light, covered
with wax, and over the whole of these the turmcrick infusion with
alum is to be applied the second time-
Ninth day. Wetted in cold water for a few minutes, and dried
in the sun-
Tenth day- The pans done with ttirmerick, ?cc- as on the eighth
day, must be again done over with the same colour, which is the
third time. The parts that arc to be purple have their light shades
done with melted wax, and covered with a mixture of one part of
ca.ssim and two of sour clear rice gniel-
Eleventli day- Wash it in cold \yater, and boil it in a decoction
of chay foi one hour or so, half dry it in the shade; then return it
into the decoction, boll it again for some time, half dry, fee- repeating
the boiling, ov rather scalding, and half drying, for they must
be i^ende, for the whole of this day; at night it is put into a mixture
of f.-esh cow-dung and water, and there remains till the morning-
Twelfth day- It is washed out, exposed on grass to the sun, and
watered as it dries; this requires two oi' three days to make the unpainted
parts of the cloth perfectly white again, for the chay will
not stand bleaching, e.s.cept where it has been fixed with alum; on
such places it stands every sort of washing and bleaching, ¡novided
the process has been properly performed; those parts in the above
description are the flowers. See. that were done with the infusion
of sappan wood and alum, or with that of turmerick and altmi, or
both; neither the sappan nor turmerick infusion alone arc of themselves
essential for fixing the coloin of this root, they serve to lighten
them, but the durability depends chiefly, if not entirely, on the
alum with which they were mixed.
Fifteenth day. Tlie twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth having
been emplo)-cd to ^^•hitcn and clean the cloth. It is now starched
with a decoction of ricc, dried in the sun and beetled, when it Is
ready to receive the wax, which is melted, and with die pencil or a
small brush laid over every part of the cloth that Is not to be blue
or green ; when that is performed, it Is put into the cold blue vat
(whicli must be in a proper state for dying) for a few minutes, then
exposed to the air, dipped and exposed to the air alternately till it
has received a sufTicient quantity of tl lalf dry and
cold V caldin
learly finished chli
off the wax (which is not Injured
wax other pieces with); the cloth, i
must no«- be washed witli
solution of soap the whole night.
nd cold watej-, and left in a w,
Sixteenth day. In the morning wash it out with more soap and
cold water; expose it to the sun on the grass, and sprinkle it with
water as it dries, at night wash it in cold water and put It by.
Seventeenth day. Wash it out widi soap and water, and expose
it to the sun, spiinkling it with water as It dries for two or three
hours only; wash it in cold water, and dry it in the sun; the whole
is now to'bc wetted in a mixtuie of milk and water, diied in the
sun, and put by till next day.
Eighteenth day- Take a small quantity of aldecay in powder,
boil it well in a little water, with this, when cold, the parts that are
to be green (they having been already d)-cd blue) are paiuEcd over
and (h ied in the shade; after wlilch they arc to be done over (fixed)
a strong solution of alum, and dried in the shade. A strong
lixivium of washerman's earth (earth of cretaceous soda) is no^^-
prepared, the chlnts is well wetted in it, wrung out, and put by for
the night-
Nineteendi day- Wash It out with cold water, ami then with
soap and water; then expose it to the sun, and .sprinkle it with
water as it ch'ies for a lew hours; after ^vhich it is to be washed
again in cold water, and dried in the sun. There now remains onl )-
that part of the process which prepares it for the market, viz. st;irching,
beetling, and chanking; this last is similar to calendering,
which is performed \vith a smooth shell rubbed backwards and foi'-
wards over the painted side of tlic chints, till it has acquired a very
high gloss or polish.
The Telinga physicians do not give any pan of the plant a place
in their Materia Medica; but the Malabar physicians say that the
roou cure poisonous bites, the cold, and the itch, and warm the con-
4. STRYCHNOS NUX VOMICA.
Linn. spec. Haul. 27J.
Musadie of the Telingas.
Trimi short and crooked, but pretty thick.
Branches irregular: both are covered with smooth ash-coloured
bark.
iiflc«opposite, shon petioled, round-oval, slilning, smooth on both
sides, entire, three-fi^'e-nerved, differing in size, from one and
a half to four inches long, and from one to three bro;id.
Slijmlcs none.
Flowers small, greenish white, collected on small terminal umbells.
Calyx lasting.
Carol as in the genus.
Filamenls scarce an)-, or exceeding shoi t, inserted into the divisions
of the corol.
Anlkers half within the tube, and half out.
Style length of the tube of the corol.
Bmy round, smooth, size of a pretty large apple, covered with a
smooth somewhat hard shell, of a rich beautiful orange colouiwhen
ripe, fdlcd witli a soft jelly-like pulp-
See,U from two to five, immersed In the pulp of the bei ry.
A middling sized tree, is common in almost eveiy part of the
coast. Flowers during the cold season. The wood of this tree is
hard and durable, and is used for many purposes by the natives,
It is e.xceeding bitter, particularly that of the root, which is used to
cure intermitting fevers, and the bites of venomous snakes, when
that of Naga-musadie cannot be had. The seeds are employed in
the distillation of country spirits, to render them more intoxicating.
The pulp of the fruit seems perfectly innocent, as it Is eat greedily
by m;my sorts of birds.
Theie is a tree, but exceeding rare on this coast, which the Telingas
call Naga Musadie (Naga, or Tansoo Paum in the Telinga
language means the Cobra de Capella or Coluber Naja of LInnasus,
tansoo means dancing, and paum snake, this sort being famous for
erccting its head, and moving it from side to side at the sound of
music) i. e. Cobra de Capella Musadie. I have only once met with
it, and then it was pointed out tome by aTelinga physician. The
tree had been cut down and carried awa)' some time before, most
of the roots were also dug up ;ind carried away; from the only
remaining one that I could find, some shoots had sprung np. The
leaves upon these were opposite, short petioled, obtuse, lanced,
three-nei-ved, about two or two and a half Inches long, by threeqnartei'S
broad; the petioles were very short, and connected at their
insei tions by a membrane, as in tlie natural order of Rubiaceaj. I
took up this root with the greatest care, cut off the upper part from
whence the shoots grew, and planted it in my garden; but it soon
perished. From the above circumstances I am inclined to tiiink
there is a sjjecles different from the Nux vomica tree, which yields
the veal Lignum Colubrlnum. The wood of the root of this son is
esteemed by the Telinga physicians an infallible leniedy for the
bite of the naga, as well as for that of every other venomous snake :
it is applied externally, and at the same time given internally; it Is
also given in substancc for the curc of Intermitting fevers.
In the plate, the dissected flower is magnified; the fruit of Its
natural size.
5. STRYCHNOS POTATORUM.
Linn. Suppl. MS.
Induga of the Telingas.
Tettan-Kottah of the Tamuls.
Clearing.nut of the English.
The description of this tree in the Supplementum PI.
io perfect, as to leave me little to add ; the only observati
.0 make are, tliat the leaves cannot be said to be five-nerv
Slijmles entire, connecting.
Panicles from the extremities of the last year's shoots, round the base
of this year's, bcarlnj; a few .mall, ercct, fragrant, greenish-
)-elIow flowers. FilumcnU rather longer than in Nux vomica.
-Bcnj-shining, black when ripe.
This species grows to be alarger tree than the Nux vojiiica tree,
it is much .scarcer, being only found among mountains, and woods
of great extent. It flowers dining the hot season. The wood, like
that of the former. Is hard and durable, and used for various economical
purposes- The pulp of the fruit when ripe is eat by die
natives; to me the taste is rather disagreeable-
The ripe seeds are dried and sold in every market, to clear muddy
water- The natives never drink dear well-water if they can get
pond or river water, which is always more or less impure according
to circumstances. One of the seeds, or nuts, as they are generally
called. Is rubbed very hard for a minute or two round the inside of
the vessel containing the water, which is generally an unglazed
earthen one, and the water left to settle; in a very short time the
impurities fall to the bottom, leaving the water clear, and, so far as
I have been able to learn, perfectly wholesome. These nuts are
constandy carried about by the more provident part of our oflieers
and soldiers, in time of war, to enable ti.em to purify their water;
they are easier to be had than alum, and are probably less liunful
o the constitution.
In the plate, the dissected llo\ nified; the fruit of it:
6. TECTONA GRANDIS.
Linn. .%{,pl. lil.
Tiieka- Rhecd. mal. -l. /;. J7. /ni. 27.
latus. Rumph.amh. 5.p.i-\.lab. !8.
Tekc of the Telingas.
Tjimk eisct, growing to an immense size. .Bnri ash-coloured,
Branches cross-armed, numerous, spreading; young .shoots foursided,
sides channelled.
Leaves opposite, petioled, spreatllng, egged, a little scolloped, above
scabrous, below covered with white soft down ; they are larger
at a distance from the flowers, and on young trees from twelve
to twenty-four Inches long, and from eight (o sixteen broad,
PelioU shoi t, thick, laterally compressed.
PawWff terminal, very large, cross-armed, small; divisions dichotomous,
with a sessile fertile flower in each cleft; the whole
covered with a hoary-coloured farinaceous substance.
Peduncle conuuon, quadrangular, sides deeply channelled, angles
obtuse.
Brads opposite, lanced, two at each subdivision.
Flowers small, white, very numerous, fragrant.
Calyx and Cord as described in the Supplementum Plantarum,
only oftener six than five-cleft.
Nectary very small, often wanting.
Slavwis oftener six than five.
Stigma two-cleft: divisions obtuse, spreading.
Dmpc within the enlarged inflated dry calyx, obtusely four-sided,
woolly, spongy, dry-
A'ul exceeding hard, four-celled.
Thii useful tree is a native of various parts of India, viz-o
lous part of the Malabar and Coromandel coasts, of thi