At the commencement of the rose season, people from all parts come to make their purchases, and very large quantities are prepared and sold.  There are about thirty-six places in the city of Ghazeepore where rose-water is distilled.  These people generally put a large quantity of sandal oil into the receiver, the oil is afterwards carefully removed and sold as sandal attar, and the water put into carboys and disposed of as rose-water.  At the time of sale a few drops of sandal oil are placed on the neck of the carboy to give it fresh scent, and to many of the natives it appears perfectly immaterial whether the scent arises solely from the sandal oil or from the roses.  Large quantities of sandal oil are every year brought up from the south and expended in this way.

6.  The chief use the natives appear to make of the rose water, or the sandal attar as they term it, is at the period of their festivals and weddings.  It is then distributed largely to the guests as they arrive, and sprinkled with profusion in the apartments.  A large quantity of rose water is sold at Benares, and many of the native Rajahs send over to Ghazipoor for its purchase.  Most of the rose water, as soon as distilled, is taken away, and after six months from the termination of the manufacture there are not more than four or five places where it is to be met with.

I should consider that the value of the roses sold for the manufacture of rose water may be estimated at 15,000 to 20,000 rupees a year; and from the usual price asked for the rose water, and for which it is sold, I should consider there is a profit of 40,000 rupees.  The natives are very fond of using the rose water as medicine, or as a vehicle for other mixtures, and they consume a good deal of the petals for the conserve of roses, or goolcond as they call it.

The roses of Ghazipoor, on the river Ganges, are cultivated in enormous fields of hundreds of acres.  The delightful odor from these fields can be scented at seven miles distance on the river.  The valuable article of commerce known as attar of roses is made here in the following manner:—­On 40 pounds of roses are poured 60 pounds of water, and they are then distilled over a slow fire, and 30 pounds of rose water obtained.  This rose water is then poured over 40 pounds of fresh roses, and from that is distilled at most 20 pounds of rose water; this is then exposed to the cold night air, and in the morning a small quantity of oil is found on the surface.  From 80 pounds of roses, about 200,000, at the utmost an ounce and a-half of oil is obtained; and even at Ghazipoor it costs 40 rupees (4_l._) an ounce.

Five guineas have been often paid for one ounce of attar of roses.  The most approved mode of ascertaining its quality is to drop it on a piece of paper; its strength is ascertained by the quickness with which it evaporates, and its worth by its leaving no stains on the paper.  The best otto is manufactured at Constantinople.

A volatile oil, erroneously called oil of spikenard, is met with in the shops, which is obtained from a plant which has been named by Dr. Royle, the Andropogon Calamus aromaticus.