year, does not much exceed the size of a man’s thumb.  The seed is enclosed in a small pod about an inch long, and resembles fenugreek, only that it is blunter at both ends, as if cut off with a knife.  The flower is small, and like hearts-ease.  The seed is ripe in November, and is then gathered.  When sown, the herb continues three years on the ground, and is cut every year in August or September, after the rains.  The herb of the first year is tender, and from it is made notee, which is a heavy reddish indigo, which sinks in water, not being come to perfection.  That made from the plant of the second year, called cyree, is rich, very light, of a perfect violet colour, and swims in water.  In the third year the herb is declining, and the indigo it then produces, called catteld, is blackish and heavy, being the worst of the three.  When the herb is cut, it is thrown into a long cistern, where it is pressed down by many stones, and the water is then let in so as to cover it all over.  It remains thus certain days, till all the substance of the herb is dissolved in the water.  The water is then run off into another cistern which is round, having another small cistern in the centre.  It is here laboured or beaten with great staves, like batter or white starch, when it is allowed to settle, and the clear water on the top is scummed off.  It is then beaten again, and again allowed to settle, drawing off the clear water; and these alternate beatings, settlings, and drawing off the clear water, are repeated, till nothing remain but a thick substance.  This is taken out and spread on cloths in the sun, till it hardens to some consistence, when it is made up by hand into small balls, laid to dry on the sand, as any other thing would drink up the colour, and which is the cause of every ball having a sandy foot.  Should rain fall while in this situation, the indigo loses its colour and gloss, and is called aliad.  Some deceitfully mix the crops of all the three years, steeping them together, which fraud is hard to be discovered, but is very knavish.  Four things are required in good indigo; a pure grain, a violet colour, a gloss in the sun, and that it be light and dry, so that either swimming in water or burning in the fire it casts forth a pure light violet vapour, leaving few ashes.

[Footnote 243:  The meaning of this quantity is quite unintelligible; but may possibly mean 500 maunds.—­E.]

The king’s manner of hunting is thus.  About the beginning of November, he goes from Agra accompanied by many thousands, and hunts all the country for thirty or forty coss round about, and so continues till the end of March, when the great heats drive him home again.  He causes a tract of wood or desert to be encompassed about by chosen men, who contract themselves to a near compass, and whatever is taken in this enclosure, is called the king’s sykar, or game, whether men! or beasts, and who ever lets aught escape