’The man, thankful that he should escape without further loss or punishment, showed the harmless snakes, which, it appears, had been deprived of their fangs and poison, and were so well instructed and docile, that they obeyed their keeper as readily as the best-tutored domestic animal.  They coiled up their supple bodies into the smallest compass possible, and allowed their keeper to deposit them each in a separate bag of calico, which was fastened under his wrapper, where it would have been impossible, the Moonshie declares, for the quickest eye to discover that anything was secreted.’

’Sickley ghur’[46] (Cutler and knife-grinder).—­These most useful artisans are in great request, polishing articles of rusty steel, giving a new edge to the knives, scissors, razors, or swords of their employer, in a masterly manner, for a very small price.

’Dhie cuttie’[47] (Sour curds).—­This article is in great request by scientific cooks, who use it in many of their dainty dishes.  The method of making sour curd is peculiarly Indian:  it is made of good sweet milk, by some secret process which I could never acquire, and in a few hours the whole is coagulated to a curd of a sharp acidity, that renders it equally useful with other acids in flavouring their curries.  The Natives use it with pepper, pounded green ginger, and the shreds of pumpkins or radishes, as a relish to their savoury dishes, in lieu of chatnee; it is considered cooling in its quality, and delicious as an accompaniment to their favourite viands.

’Mullie’[48] (Clotted cream).—–­This article is much esteemed by the Natives.  I was anxious to know how clotted cream could be procured at seasons when milk from the cow would be sour in a few hours, and am told that the milk when brought in fresh from the dairy is placed over the fire in large iron skillets; the skin (as we call it on boiled milk) is taken off with a skimmer, and placed in a basket, which allows all the milk to be drained from it; the skin again engendered on the surface is taken off in the same way, and so they continue, watching and skimming until the milk has nearly boiled away.  This collection of skin is the clotted cream of Hindoostaun.

’Mukhun’[49] (Butter).—­Butter is very partially used by the Natives; they use ghee, which is a sort of clarified butter, chiefly produced from the buffalo’s milk.  The method of obtaining butter in India is singular to a European.  The milk is made warm over the fire, then poured into a large earthen jar, and allowed to stand for a few hours.  A piece of bamboo is split at the bottom, and four small pieces of wood inserted as stretchers to these splits.  A leather strap is twisted over the middle of the bamboo, and the butter-maker with this keeps the bamboo in constant motion; the particles of butter swimming at the top are taken off and thrown into water, and the process of churning is resumed; this method continues until by the quantity collected,