Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-10-02
AN EAST, INDIAN MASON.

Or ho,o they Build Houses in India.
writer in Chamberss Journal gives the following 40
count of the of laying bricks in East India:
a. Time which the Englishman values as money has q
very secondary place in the estimation Of the Oriental
and all his tools and methods of working seem to be con-
trved with the view Of consuming much OF that yau
able commodity as possible
The Raaj, brcklayer, is, think about the best
illustration OF this He works with rowel about the
size Of an ordinary tablespoon and small hammer
weighing about six ounces Armed with these and
squattng before his work. he in loud voice. summons
his rundees two Of whom always wait upon each
and orders them to bring ntse and mdssdlo (bcks
and mortar) The rundees in due season make their
appearance, one with brick in each hand, and the
other with small wooden trencher, about the size Of a.
breadbasket, filled with the massala Without chang
ing his position he empties the trencher on the eT-
tended bed OF the brick, and it seldom contains more
than enough for two bricks He spreads the mortar
evenly with his trowe assisting the process by adding
water from small earthcnware pitcher, handed to him
by attendant rundee and the bricks often very
irregular in shape he he's three four minutes spend
in chipping of the irregularities with his hammer; and
If he be at all fastidous the brick unusually bad he
will spend twice much time this 1t is at this part
Of the process that the patience Of Engshmnn gives
way and with impatient lss isty what for) address
sed to the apahetc rad he gives vent to his feelings in
string Of English adjectyes addressed to par
cuar heard energetic indigo planter declare
that he would at any time walk ame in the hottest sun
shine rather than be condemned to contemplate the pro-
ceedings Of the masons at work on his own factory
complicated process to 60 through with string and ball
Of stone The string provided with small slip OF hoop
iron, and made to slip up and down the string by small
hole pierced in its centre In order to ensure the perpe
dicuar line Of the wall he applies the end of the slip Of
iron to the side of the brick last laid and allows the bah
to hang at some distance below and by Of the
slip of iron ct the top the string held from the brick at
the distance Of the radius Of the ball. IL the brick be pro-
pery placed, the pumme-stone will just touch the wall
below II was oil in win that made straightedge and
bumbne in the English fashion, and showed them that
by using IL they would save themselves the trouble Of
testing the position of each brick as il was laid soong
as stood beside them they pretended to it, but the
moment my back turned out came the time onored
pummet that had assisted in building the oldest temples
in Hindostan and certainly quite good enough for
any thing teeringhee like me could require.
81 am much within the mark whom say that single
English bricklayer and holman could in day do the
work Of dozen rad rundees and all and do much bet
ter too. One would imagine from this that building
very expensive in India but the contrarys the An
English bricklayer and holman win cost from eight to
ten shings day, while the Indian rsdj and his two at
tepdant rundees viii not cost more than from thrcepence
to fourpesce per day" -3st SEA