1522
OFFICIAL DESCRIPTIVE AND ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE.
meut and the ground occupy equal areas. To obtain thiseffect requires no ordinary skill, and it can only hearrived at by highly-trained hands and minds.’ ”
Group of articles in 1 iidry, inlaid with silver and gold.—Plate 409.
Bidry .— A metallurgical compound of considerableinterest is that which has been named liidry, fromHetler, a city situated about CO miles to the north-west ofHyderabad , and of which we have had a variety of articlesin the Exhibition. Most of these have been greatly ad-mired for the elegance of their form, as well as thegracefulness of the patterns with which their surface wasengraved. Though the groundwork of this compositionjs of a blackish hue, its natural colour is that of somekinds of pewter or zinc. Dr. I ley tie informs us that it iscomposed of copper 16 oz., lead 4oz., tin 2 oz. Theseare melted together, and to every three ounces of thealloy 16 oz. of spelter, that is zinc, is added when thealloy is melted for use. But to give the ware the blackcolour which is esteemed, probably from bringing out thepattern, it is dipped into a solution of sal-amuiouiac, salt-petre, common salt, and blue vitriol.
Dr. li. Hamilton saw zinc 12-360 grains, copper 450grains, and lead 414 grains melted together, and a mix-ture of resin and bees’ wax introduced into the crucibleto prevent calcination. It was then poured into a mouldmade of baked clay, and the article then handed overto be turned in a lathe. The artists then inlay flowers orpther ornaments of silver or of gold. They first rub itover with sulphate of copper and water, which gives thesurface a blackish colour, and enables the artist morereadily to distinguish the figure which he draws. ThisJie does with a sharp pointed instrument of steel, and thencuts it with small chisels of various shapes, and then witha hammer and punch tills the cavities with small plates ofsilver, which adhere firmly to the bidry. It is thenpolished and stained as described above.
The various articles made from it are vases, wash-handbasins and ewers, hookah bottoms, spittoons, cups anddishes, small boxes and weights. These are inlaid withsilver commonly, but sometimes with gold. The patternsare usually as much admired as the forms of the vessels.
Though usually called Bidry, sometimes Vidry, itis also manufactured at other places; specimens havebeen sent from both Beder and Aurangabad , from IlisHighness the Nizam and his minister Siraj-ul-Mulk,which are particularly beautiful, in the Nizam’s terri-tories ; also from north-west India and from Bengal. Thelatter, however, are inferior to the other in workmanship.
Products of Mysore sent to the Exhibition.
2. Steel wire, 7J- 11s. weight, from Chennnpatam.
3. Women’s nose and ear ornaments of brass andcoloured glass.
4. Striped purple saree.
One striped orange, called pnneharungee.
One small striped orange, called kahmdee.
One purple small check, called moonghee.
One orange striped, called unsawarree.
One red check guddary murree.
One orange with black check pootanb.
One orange with red and black check, called rooinalchouklee.
One green.
One red with small white and black cheek.
One man's cloth.
6. One sullah, or saila, or sarree, from Surjapoor,
Five silk handkerchiefs.
Twelve white silk pocket handkerchiefs.
Three Bangalore silk shawls, at 36 11s. each.
Two Bangalore silk shawls, at 20 Us. each.
Two Bangalore silk shawls, sent by the owners.Two Bangalore silk scarfs, at 15 Us. each.
6, One bottle of fluid kino.
7. One bottle of gamboge.
9. A specimen of gamboge.
9. A bag of 43 lacquered toys Chemmputum.
10. Six specimens of wool from the Government L*1 H
rimental Farm, to illustrate the gradual change l* 01hair to perfect wool. , 1(!
11. A bottle of puplee chuckee chips, used as red O(sort of creeper).
12. Oapala rung red dye. _ .
15. Box with specimen of iron ore, magnetic if ’
balupum stone, steel, and corundum.
14. Bag of kadukai, a valuable astringent nut, uSLas a dye and in ink manufacture.
15. Two vessels cut out of balupum stone.
16. Two ditto ditto.
17. Specimen of wood used as a red dye.
18. Bag of rice and paddy called mooray jelly.
19. ,, ,, sookha doss.
20. ,, „ manikaray.
21. ,, ,, kristna neela.
22. „ „ seeta boguin.
23. ,, „ jilka raja.
24. Sandal-wood choury. 0
25. Carved sandal-wood box, with card ease andpenholders.
26. Box with 135 specimens of wood. .. q
27. Grindstone of powdered corundum and nillac.
2S. and 29. Two pieces of black wood (Dalbergef)’
BENGAL PKES1DENCY.
In the Introduction to the List of the India Dll’' 1 'ment, Illustrated Catalogue, vol. ii. p 859, mentionmade of the several Committees which hud been ^Wished in the three Presidencies to forward the objec *the Great Exhibition , but that list gives a very innoi'l 11 aidea of the Committees and Sub-Committees of the J „„Presidency. The following list is therefore publish 1 ’ 1 ^giving a detailed view of the whole, together with , ^names of the Residents and Political Agents at I'm ^Courts, whose contributions formed so conspii uoUfeature in the Indian Department.
1. Central Committee at Calcutta .
The Hon. Sir Lawrence Peel, Pres.
C. Beadon, Esq., Sec,
Succeeded by
J. M’Clelland, Esq., Sec.
2. Patna Committee.
G. Gouon, Esq.
Sub-Committees,a. Behar—T. Sandys, Esq.
(>. Shahabad—W. Travers, Esq.
c. Surun—F. B. Kemp, Esq.
d. Chumparun—E. M’Donui., Esq.r. Tirhoot— C. T. Davidson, Esq.
/. Bhaugulpore—G. Loon, Esq.
ij. Monghyr—G. P. Leyckster, Esq.
3. Moorskedabad Committee.
T. Taylor, Esq. ( | lt <
[The Rajah of llurdwan offered to send his jeweh’ j
Exhibition if their return could be insured 1° 1
4. Cuttack Committee.
F. Gouldshurv, Esq., Pres.
Correspondint / Members.
a, Pooree—A. Forres, Esq.
b. Balasore— W. .1. Allen, Esq.o. Bhuddruek— W. Brown, Esq.d. Jellasore—T. Campbell, Esq.
5. Dacca Committee.
If. II. Mvtton, Esq., Pres.
Correspondony Members.
a. Cossyah Hills— Lieut. -Col. Lister.
b. Silhet—II. Stainiortii, Esq.
c. Mymensing—If. E. Cunlikee, Esq.
d. Burrisaul—F. E. Bead, Esq.
e. Cueliar—Capt. Verner.
/. Muunipore—Capt. M’Cullocii.