Part 32

It has often occurred to me, that, possibly, an excellent dye for woollens might be obtained from the _hinnah_, which, being inspissated, or reduced to an extract, could be imported among our dyers with peculiar advantage. The plant, which is not unlike myrtle, is indigenous throughout Hindostan, where it is principally employed in making garden hedges, much the same as yew, box, &c., are among us; but, owing to its not proving a defence against cattle, and being of slow growth, the exterior hedges, in lieu of being formed of _hinnah_, are usually made of _baubool_, a species of _mimosa_, yielding some gum, and otherwise extremely serviceable; both from the excellence of its wood, for all circular or angular work, requiring great strength, durability, and toughness; and for its bark, which is at least equal to that of the oak for tanning. The natives consider the application of _mindy_ to be attended with good effects; they say it is cooling, but I should rather apprehend it were the reverse, it being certainly an astringent, and contributing to check perspiration: hence, the hands of such as apply it commonly have a harsh, dry feel. That it may be a corrective of that scent sometimes attendant upon an habitual discharge from the feet, may be true; but, it remains still to be questioned, whether the obstruction of such a discharge can be reconciled to prudence: it is, however, a complaint very rarely to be met with in India; doubtless owing to frequent washing, and to that abundant and general perspiration which shews itself very conspicuously.

END OF THE FIRST VOLUME

Transcriber’s Note

An extended quotation on the private lives of women, beginning on p. 347, is continued with each paragraph with an opening single quotation mark, which convention ends ambiguously, without comment, on p. 408. The succeeding paragraph begins a section on kite flying. This is the only portion of the book to employ footnotes, save for those used to annotate a poem beginning on p. 504.

Those footnotes are moved to follow the paragraph within which they are references, and a sequenced numerically for uniqueness. Notes 3 and 7 are referenced twice each in the text. The three notes on the poem beginning on p. 504 are lettered A, B, and C.

Keeping in mind the vintage of the text, spelling has generally been followed.

In a discussion of language learning, on p. 178, the phrase “he added five words each month” seems an error, but it is impossible to determine what the author must have meant.

Hyphenation of compound words can be variable. Where it occurs on a line break, the most commonly used form is assumed.

Errors deemed most likely to be the printer’s have been corrected, and are noted here. The references are to the page and line in the original. The following issues should be noted, along with the resolutions.

117.1 large quantit[i]es of good fish Added.

168.3 resentment at the vill[ia/ai]n’s audacity Transposed.

168.15 founded on p[er/re]judice Transposed.

178.19 [five words] _sic._

233.25 and that [t]he soup is well flavored Added.

253.11 while, on the other hand, [it ]is greatly Added. depreciated;

304.12 that the Oore[e]ahs> are Added.

353.29 whenever _Soonees_ and [and] _Sheeaus_ Removed. intermarry

378.28 Contrast this simple lament[at]ion Added.

380.26 upon enquiring into the sym[p]toms Added.

441.8 roses were collected on different days.[’] Removed.