In other countries the jewels are secured in the sockets made for them, with lac, but in Hinḍustan, it is effected with kundan which is gold made so pure and ductile that the fable of the gold of Parvíz which he could mould with his hand becomes credible.*

The mode of preparation is as follows:—Of a másha of gold they draw out a wire eight fingers long and one finger in breadth. Then the wire is coated with a mixture of two parts of the ashes of dried field-cowdung* and one part of Sámbhar* salt, after which it is wrapped in a coarse cloth and covered with clay. This is generally of not more than ten tolahs weight, and it is placed in a fire of four sers of cowdung which is then suffered to cool down. If there is but little alloy in it, it will become of standard fineness after three fires, otherwise it must be coated with the same mixture and passed through three more fires. It is generally found that three coatings and three fires are sufficient for the purpose. It must then be washed and placed in an earthen vessel filled with limejuice or some other (acid) which is heated to boiling. It is then cleaned and wound round a cane and taken off (when required), and re-heated from time to time, and used for setting by means of an iron style and so adheres that it will not become detached for a long period of time. At first the ornament is fashioned quite plain and here and there they leave sockets for the setting of the jewels. These sockets are filled with lac and a little of the gold is inserted above it, and on this the jewel is pressed down. The overflow of the lac is scraped off and it is then weighed. They next cover the lac with the kundan by means of a needle, and finally scrape and polish it with a steel-pointed tool.

The fee of a skilled artificer for this work is sixty-four dáms on each tolah.

The Zarnishán or gold inlayer, is a workman who cuts silver, agate, crystal and other gems in various ways and sets them on gold. He inlays silver and steel with lines of gold and embellishes agates and other stones by engraving and cutting them. On steel and gems, if he uses one tolah of gold, he receives one and a half as his charge; if he inlays on ivory, fish-bone, tortoise-shell, rhinoceros-horn or silver, his charge for every tolah of gold is one tolah of the same.

The Koftgar or gold-beater, inlays on steel and other metals markings more delicate than the teeth of a file, and damascenes with gold and silver wire. He receives one hundred dáms for each tolah of gold and sixty for a tolah of silver. His work is principally on weapons.

The Mínákár or enameller, works on cups, flagons, rings and other articles with gold and silver. He polishes his delicate enamels separately on various colours, sets them in their suitable places and puts them to the fire. This is done several times. His charge is sixteen dáms for each tolah of gold, and seven for a tolah of silver.

The Sádah-kár, a plain goldsmith, fashions gold-work and other articles of gold and silver. His charge is five and a half dáms on every tolah of gold and two for every tolah of silver.

The Shabakah-kár* executes pierced-work in ornaments and vessels. His charge is double that of the Sádah-kár.

The Munabbat-kár works plain figures or impressions on a gold ground, so that they appear in relief. His charge is ten dáms for a tolah of gold and four for a tolah of silver.

The Charm-kár* incrusts granulations of gold and silver like poppy-seeds on ornaments and vessels. For every tolah weight of golden grains his charge is one rupee, and half of this for silver.

The Sím-báf or plaiter of silver, draws out gold and silver wire and plaits them into belts for swords, daggers and the like. He receives twenty-four dáms on a tolah of gold and sixteen for a tolah of silver.

The Sawád-kár grinds a black composition (sawád) and lays it smoothly over traceries of gold and then polishes the ground evenly with a file. The sawád consists of gold, silver, copper, lead and sulphur mixed together in certain proportions. The work is of several kinds. The finest is on gold and the charge is two rupees per tolah of sawád. For the middling kind, the charge is one rupee, and for the lowest, eight annas.

The Zar-kob or gold beater, makes gold and silver leaf.

Lapidaries, metal casters, and other artificers produce designs which excite astonishment, but this exposition is already sufficiently protracted. Artists of all kinds are constantly employed at the Imperial Court where their work is subjected to the test of criticism.