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filver; and, fince, if completely reprefented, the figures must be numerous, great quantity of those metals must have been confumed in their fabrication.

The custom of burying every thing most valuable at the approach of an invader is fo ancient and fo general in Hindostan, that there can be no doubt of many of these coftly appendages of the ancient rich pagodas having been thus difpofed of. I have, myfelf, feen numerous fragments of these avatars and deities, that have been dug up in fields and gardens, cast in bronze and other metals; and, if they buried these of inferior metals, they undoubtedly would, with still more anxious care, thofe of the more precious kind. It has also been an immemorial practice in India to throw gold, precious ftones, and other fumptuous articles, by way of offerings, into the Ganges, Jumna, and other great rivers, nearly all of which are regarded in a facred light by that fuperftitious people; and, therefore, the fandy beds of those rivers may be justly confidered as mines of treasure, and reckoned among the richest that Afia affords.

* Ayeen Akbery, vol.i. p. 242.

I have,

I have, in a preceding page, enumerated fome of the more fplendid oblations of their ancient rajahs, to purchase atonement for crimes committed against heaven, and, among other articles, their golden horfes, golden cows, trees and vines of gold, ploughs of gold, chariots drawn by horses and elephants all of gold. It was added, that the value of thefe offerings varied from 10 to 6660 tolahs; that the tolah is a weight peculiarly appropriated, throughout the Mogul empire, to those precious commodities; a hundred tolahs amounting to thirty-eight ounces; and that, from the vast amount of thofe oblations, evident proof feemed to arife that India was formerly much more abundant in gold than in periods lefs recent. I fhall now, in addition to that account, fubjoin a very curious chapter from the Ayeen Akbery, relative to the exquifite perfection in gold and jewellery work, to which their artists had, in Akber's time, arrived; not only because it cannot fail of impreffing on the mind of the reader the object of this Differtation, which is the profufion of gold in India, but because the enumeration of the ornaments of gold and jewels, worn by the inhabitants of India, will afford

them

them a lively fpecimen of their taste in dress, and their oftentatious mode of decorating their tawny perfons.

ORNAMENTS OF GOLD AND JEWELS ANCI

ENTLY WORN BY INDIAN WOMEN OF RANK, EXTRACTED FROM THE AYEEN AKBERY.

"SEISPHOOL is a flower resembling the marigold, made of gold, and worn on the head. Mang, an ornament worn upon the parting of the hair of the head. Gowtbilladudir is an ornament for the forehead, confifting of five short points and a long one. Sebra, seven strings of pearl, or more, interspersed with natural flowers: this is fastened to the forehead, and covers the face. It is chiefly worn at marriages, and by a mother on the birth of a fon. Teeka, a jewel in the fhape of a crefcent, which is worn upon the forehead. Bindelee, a round piece of gold, fmaller than a mohur, which is worn upon the forehead. Khuntebla, an ear-ring of a conical form. Kurrenphool, an ear-ring reDeerbutcha, another kind of

sembling a rose. VOL. VII.

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ear-ring. Peepulputty, fmall crescents, nine, or more, of which are worn in each ear. Ballee Chumpakullee, a small golden rofe, worn on the thick part of the ear. Mowrbbenwir, an ear-ring in the fhape of a peacock. Beyfer, a kind of nofe-jewel. Phoolee refembles a rofebud with a ftalk, and is worn in the nose. Lowng is a golden clove, which is worn in the nose. Nuth, a gold ring, upon which are a ruby and two pearls, or other jewels: it is worn in the nofe. Goolooband, a necklace, confifting of five or seven strings of very small gold rofes. Har, a string of pearls and flowers hanging from the neck. Hans, a collar. Kungun, a bracelet. Gujreh, a bracelet of pearls and gold. Jewee, five gold barleycorns ftrung upon filk, and worn round the wrifts. Choor, another kind of bracelet. Baboo, a fmall kind of bracelet. Chooreen, another very small kind of bracelet; are worn round each wrift. naments for the arms.

ring, worn upon the arms. which are of various forms.

feven of which Bazoobund, orTaar, a hollow

Ungoothee, rings,
Choodirg bunta,

gold bells, ftrung upon filver wire, and worn round the waist. Kutmekhla, a gold belt. Jeeber, three gold rings for each ancle. Choora,

two

two half-circles, made of gold, which join round the leg. Doondnbee, like the choora, but ornamented with engravings. Muffowree, differs from the doondnbee in nothing but the engraving. Payil, rings worn round the ancles. Ghoongrco, little gold bells ftrung upɔn filk, which are worn about the ancles, between the jeeber and payil. Bank, ornaments for the top of the foot, and which are either fquare or triangular. Beetcheva, toe-rings, half a golden ball. Unwut is a ring worn

upon the great-toe.

"The jewels above-described are made either plain, or ornamented with gems; and are of various fashions. The Hindoo goldfmiths are fuch exquifite workmen, that fometimes they charge a gold mohur for working a tolah of gold."*

Their peculiar mode, alfo, of fetting in gold, deferves the attention of the European artist, and therefore is inferted.

"The jewellers of other countries fasten jewels in the fettings with lack; but thofe of Hindoftan make use of a kind of gold which they called Kurden, and which is so malleable,

*See Ayeen Akbery, vol. i. p. 262.

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that

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