them to the Vania [Banyan] grain dealers, who again sell it to the town manufacturers of this work. As the bangles are separately formed they are slipped over the oily conical head of a rice pounder, which is about the size of a woman’s forearm. When it is about half-covered with rings, they are all carefully heated, so that without melting they may stick to each other ; this done the set of rings [25 go to the set], now forming a single bracelet, is rubbed with brick powder, and polished with copal varnish colored vermilion or blue or yellow. The next step is to print a pattern on the cylinder of bracelets. For this purpose two ounces of thin tin and a small lump of glue are pounded to- gether all day until they form a dull grey metallic paste. Next day it is boiled in a copper vessel over a slow fire, and the solution strained through a coarse cloth, when it is ready for use. Meanwhile cottonwool is tightly wound round a small piece of bamboo, and so wetted and pressed that it becomes hard enough to have a pattern impressed on it with a large iron needle. This cotton stamp is now taken, dipped in the tin water, and being pressed on the cylinder of bracelets prints its pattern on them. Then once a day for three days a varnish is applied which turns all the white dots of the tin pattern into a beautiful golden colour. Lastly the pattern is completed by studding the bracelet with drops of tin water made red with vermilion, or white with chalk. These bracelets are sold for less than a half-penny each. They are formed in imitation of the ivory bracelets of Ratlam, and are worn by the Vania women throughout Malwa, and by the Dohad ladies of the Rajput caste. Beside bracelets, yellow and red striped arm- lets, called golias, worn between, the elbow and shoulder, are made. The industry gives employment to nine families at Dohad, and six at Jhalod. Half of them are Mahommedans, and half Hindus. Lacquered wooden bracelets and wooden toys, and other lacquered turnery are made also at Ahmedabad and Surat in the Bombay Presidency, and in the Madras x
