THE ARTIST'S COMPANION, AND MANUFACTURER'S GUIDE, CONSISTING OF "THE MOST VALUABLE SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. Calico Printing, ...Bleaching of Cotton and Paper.. ..Dyeing of Wood, Bones, 8c. Engraving and Etching on Copper... .En- graving in vlquatinta.... Engraving on Wood. Dyeing of various Colours. ...Manufacture of (Jlass, Pottery, Beer, 8c. WITW ABOVE TTVTf, TITTNT>ttP,n V A LT7 ART.E M'ODRN HE* CEIPTS; FORMING A GREAT VARIETY OF USEFUL ARTICLES, COLLECTED FROM THE LATEST PEAK PUBLICATIONS. JBy a Friend to American BOSTON: Published by y. Norman, Chart-seller, Wo. 1, North-Row* E. G. House, Printer. 1814. I DISTRICT OF MASS ACHU SETTS, to wit * *f>fc st remembered, that on the twentieth day of August, A. B. D 1814, and in the thirty -ninth year of t e independence of the U- aited States of America, John Norman of the said TMsrifct, has depo- sited in this office, the title of a book the right whereof he claims as proprietor, in the words following, to wit : "The Artist's Corrpanion and Manufacturer's Guide, consisting of the most valuable secrets in ar-s and trades. Calico printing bleaching of cotton and paper* dyeing of wood, bones, &c engraving and etching on copper en- graving in aquatinta ; engraving on wood. Dyeing of various colours j manufacture of glass, pottery, beer, c. With above five hundred valuable modern receipts, forming a great variety of useful articles, collected from the latest European publication*. By a Friend to A- nericar Manufactures lu Conformity to the Act of Congress of the United States, in- titled "An Act for the Encouragement of Learning, by securing the Copies of Maps, Charts and Books, to the Authors and Proprietors of such Copies^ during the times therein mentioned;'* and also to an Act, antitled, "An Act supplementary to an Act, intitled, An Act for the Encouragement of Learning by securing the Copies of Maps, Charts, and Rooks to the Authors and Proprietors of such C' Pl^ Curing the times therenTrritnTioneo: ; and extending the Benefits thereof to tne Arts of Designing, Engraving and Etching Historical, and othcf prints. Wm, S. SHAW, Clerk of the District of Massachusetts, CONTENTS. iV No. Page A mixture which may be used for making im- pressions ofany kind, and will grow as hard as a stone *-.--- 435 144 B. "Bleaching of cotton - ... 2 6 Bleaching of paper - 3 t Brightness of arms preserved - - - 39 22 Borax made *...*- 53 25 Black varnish - * ^. . . . 57 26 Blanchard's varnish for air ballons - - 90 36 Brass made white - 56 26 Blue, very like ultramarine - - - - 115 44 Bistre for the wash 121 46 Brown colour - - - - - - 141 49 Blood cement ...*-. iss 63 Burnt wine ...... 339 100 Brewing * 466 157 C. Calico printing *..-. 1 j Composition of cast mirrors and cylenders - 23 18 Compose a metal of a gold colour - 33 21 Composition of metal * - - - - 34 21 Chinese varnish caculated for minature painting 59 27 Cold cement for cisterns and fountains 77 2 Cement to render crystals like diamonds, and give the sapphires of Alenson a hardness to cut glass ........ si S3 Composition, the fundamental basis of all enamels 85 34 Carmine, very good - - * - - us 44 Common ink ....... 226 72 Changing iron apparently into copper * - 282 83 Cupellation ---..* 288 86 Cream which cuts as a rice pudding - - 384 113 Currying 474 175 D. Dissolve gold in your naked hand 35 21 Diamond, counterfeited * 84 34 Directions for the mixture of colours - - 164 55 Directions for preparing coffee ... 359 105 Dyi-ing, principles of * ... * 467 ISO Dyeing b-ue 468 16(3 yellow --,, 459 15-3 A rv CONTENTS. No. .Pitg* Dyeing red 470 170 black - - - - - - 471 172 forown 472 173 compound colours ... 473 174 E. Engraving ....... 4 7 Etching 5 10 Extract mercury from lead . . . . 22 18 Extract mercury from antimony . . - 42 23 Enamel made as white as milk . , . 105 42 Enamel, green . . . . . . 106 42 Enamel black, shining ..... 107 42 Enamel, purple colour . . . . . 108 43 Enamel, red, of a beautiful ruby hue . . 109 43 Essence of jessamine roses and other flowers 344 102 Essence of capon and other fowls . . 346 102 Engraving in aqua tinta . 417 124 Engraving on wood 418 13O F. Fix tnercury, to ...... 19 it Fixation of salt petre . . . . 37 22 Tixation of copper which will yield six ounces out of eight on the test .... 43 23 Frames made transparent . . . . 113 44 Flesh colour, fine made . . . . 117 44 Filbert colour, pale 137 49 Flesh colour ' 139 49 Frangipane colour 143 49 Figure of a print made to appear in gold . 148 50 Fine liquid green 15S 53 Fine vermillion . . . . . . 1 59 52 Fine glue ....... 434 144 G. Good temper for arms . * . . 13 16 Give tools such a temper as to saw marble . 24 18 Give the finest colour of gold to copper, in order to make statues or other works with it . 45 23 Give painted silks all the smell and fragrancy of the India ones 68 29 Glue to lay on gold . - . . . . . 76 . 32 Gum copal dissolved in spirits of wine Gilding by amalgamation . . . . 97 38 CONTENTS. T No. Page Gilding iron or steel, an improved process . 98 38 Gilding of silver cold 99 39 Give globes a silver colour . . . . Hi 43 Gold colour 138 49 Good glue for sign boards or any thing that must stand the weather 184 62 Green ink , . 213 70 Gold and silver in shell . . . . 43 76 Gilding leather 428 iS5 Good water cement . . . . 445 14S H. How to make a red, with varnish of a much high- er hue than coral itself .... 60 27 How to make sashes with cloth which will be very transparent 61 27 How to make varnish fit for sashes . . 62 27 How to make skins and gloves take the dyes 145 5O How to draw on glass 151 52* How to get the gold or silver out of gilt places 239 75 How to renew old writings almost defaced . 89 9O How to find out whether or not there be water mixed in a cask of wine , . . 297 92 How to separate water from wine . > 298 92 How to restore wine 299 92 How to correct a bad taste and sourness in wine 300 92 How to extract the essential oil from any flower 342 102 How to colour any sort of liquor . . 355 104 How to make syrups \\ith all sorts of flowers, which shall be possessed of all their taste, flavour and fragrancy .... 362 <107 How to make a dry preserve . . . 568 109 How to make the cotignac liquid . . 369 109 How to make dry portable cherries . . 370 ll-o How to make an apricot or peach jam . S71 11O How to make raspberry, currant and cherry jam 373 ill How to make a good current jelly . . 371 111 How to make an apple jelly . . . 375 111 How to make a conserve with rasping of Portugal oranges and lemons, conjointly or separately 576 111 How to whiten cherries, currants, raspberries, grapes, strawberries, and such like fruit 377 112 How to preserve orange peels all the year, but especially in May . 378 112 How to make the Qpnoa paste . . . 379 112 How to make quinces jam> and other fruits . 380 112 vi CONTENTS. No> Page How to make Genoa biscuits . . . 381 113 How to make macaroons .... 332 113 How to make an exceeding good boiled cream 385 1 1 3 How to reduce tobacco into powder . . 386 114 How to purge snuff, and prepare it for admitting of odours - 387 114 How to perfume snuff with flowers . . S88 114 How to entice a great quantity of fish to resort to a certain place < . . . . 412 120 How to get a good many birds . . . 413 1'2<) How to preserve mid multiply pigeons . 414 .120 How to fatten pigeons . . . .. . 415 12C 1. Iron softened 8, 13 J.ron melted c o that it will spread under the hammer 9 1 5 Iron a temper to cut porphry, to 10 16 Ingredients which serve to the melting of iron 17 17 Jron from rusting , . . . . 27 19 Imitate tortoise shell on copper . . . 46 24 Iron made a? white and as beautiful as silver 54 26 J-'ory black made . . . 53 27 V'itate porphvy .... 74 31 :; glass g] obe?, to 110 43 ."EnJ'igo made . . . . .. . 130 48 J[. c aV.?J colour . . . . . 136 49. Ivingh.StS glue ...... 383 61 Japanese cement, or rice glue . . 189 63 Imitate tortoise-shell with horn . . 193 65 Ink which may be made instantly . . 273 81 "l.ik portable, without gall r,-ut or vitriol . 274 81 portable, in powder . . . 275 82 Ink portable, in powder to make ink instantly 276 82 J. ,;pan work, method of painting . 419 13o Japan grounds . . . . 453 148 .white . .. . 454 1-18 blue ... 455 149 red . - . 456 150 yellow ... 457 150 green . % . 458 150 orange . . . 459 150 purple . . . 460 151 Wack* without heat 461 ISA CONTENTS, vif No. Page Japan grounds common black, on iron or copper, produced by means of heat 462 151 fine tortoise shell, produced by means of heat . 463 151 Japan work, manner of varnishing , 4G1 152- K. Kier's, mode of separating silver from copper 88 ?5 L. Lute to join broken vessels . 78 32 Lake made . . . 114 44 Lake, liquid . . . . 115 44- Lapland glue .... 185 62 Liquid currant jam .- , 366 108 M. Melt iron and make it soft . . 14 16 Melt metal in the shell of a nut without burning it KG 22" Manage steel so that it may cut iron as it were lead 40 22 Ma:tich to mend all torts of broken vessels 75 ss?' Muk colour, fine .- . . . 142 49 Moulding and casting . . . 182 59 Method of silvering ivory . . . 190 64. Method of making ca^t steel . . 1 G 1 64 Method of distinguishing iron from steel . 285 85 Manufacture of glass . . . 465 154 of soda - - - 475 i76 of potash . . . 476 177 Method of taking a cast in plaster from a per- son's face . . . . 477 178 N* Kitric acid, or permanent ink . 7 15' O. Oil, one ounce of which will last longer than one pouad of any other ... 52 25 Observations on the process of making ultramarine 12o 48 Old pictures rendered as fine as new . 126 47 it to prevent pictures from blackening. It may serve aljo to make cloth to carry in the pock- et, against wet weather , , 127 4? x CONTENTS. No. Page Transparent yellow hue . 67 29 True receipt of the English varnish, such as is laid on sticks and artificial canes . . 69 30 Tinning glass globes . . . 112 43 To make a yellow . . . . 131 43 To take off instantly a copy from a print or picture 165 55 The Spanish ladies' rouge , . 166 5G To gild on glass, earthen, or china ware . 170 57 To write or paint in in silver* especially with a pencil . 171 57 To silver the convex side of meniscus glasses for mirrors . . . . 172 57 TinniTig of iron . . . . 173 5^ Tinning of copper . . . 174 58 Turkey cement for joining metals, glass, &c. 186 62 TO dye bones and mould them in all manner of shapes . . . . 195 65 To dye bones in black . . . 196 66 To soften bones . . . . 197 66 To dye bones in green . . . 198 66 To dye bones and ivory of a fine red . 200 66 To make a paste in imitation of black marble 201 67 To dye marble, or alabaster, blue or purple 202 67 To write with common clear water . 207 9 To make very good iuk -without nut galls ; which will be equally good to wash drawings and plans, and strike very neat, lines with a pen 209 69 To make g>od India, ink . . . 211 7O To make an ink which appears and disappears alternately . . . . 214 70 The invisible method of conveying secrets 215 70 To write in silver without' silver . 220 71 To whiten and silver copper medals . 227 72 To whiten exteriorly copper statues . 229 73 To gild silver in water gliding, without the as- sistance of mercury . . . 2 SO 73 To gild steel and iron after being well polished 232 ,74 To clean and whiten silver . . 234 75 To bronze in gold colour . . , 236 75 To gild paper on the edge . - 243 7# To gild without gold . . . 241 76 'Jo gild on calf and sheep skin . . 242 76 To dye any metal or stone gold colour, without gold ..... 244 76 To whiten copper . . . ... 245 76 To whiten iron like silver . . . 246 77 The composition for red . . . 247 77 To dye wood in a purplish colour .. 248 CONTENTS. xi JS^o. Page To dye wood a fine polished white . 254 78 To dye in polished black . . . 255 78 To imitate ebony .... 256 78 To dye wood silver fashion . . 258 78 To dye in gold, silver or copper . . 259 79 To give nut or pear tree, wli^t undulation- you like 260 79 To imitate the root of nut tree - . 261 79 To give a fine colour to the cherry tree wood 262 79 To marble wood . . ^ 263 79 To imitate white marble . . . 264 7$ To imitate black marble . . . 265 so To take the impression of any seal . 266 80. To get birds with white feathers . 267 .80 To soften ivory .... 68 so To dye ivory thus softened . 269 so To whiten ivory that has been spoiled . 270. 81. To whiten green ivory, and whiten that agaia which has turned of a brown yellow 271- gl The use of sugarncandy in ink . * 277 82 To prevent ink from freezing in the winter 279 83. To make Canton's phosphorus . . 280 83 _To make a phosphorus fire bottle 281 83 To lay mezzotinto prints on glass . 284 84: ~ To procure animalcuiae for the microscope 286 85 To write in gold letters, on iron or steel . 290 90 To write on silver in black, which will never go off 292 91. To prevent wine from fust ing, and to give ic both a taste and flavour quite agreeable . 294. 91 To make a sweet wine of a very agreeable flavour 295 91 s To give .wine a most agreeable flavour . 296 92 To cure those who are too much addicted to drinking wine . . . 301 93 To prevent one from getting intoxicated with- drinkmg .... 302 93 To make people drunk without endangering their health . . . . 303 93 To recover a person from intoxication . 304 53 To prevent the breath from smelling of wine 305 93 To preserve good wine to the last . 306 93 To make good wine vinegar in a short time 307 93 To make good strong vinegar with the worst of wines ..... so 8 94 To turn wine into vinegar . . 309 94 To : restore wine to its first taste . . 31O 94 To render vinegar alkali . - . 312 94 To make in one hour good rose vinegar . sis P4 To ma,ke. good vinegar in an instant . 314 <* tfi CONTENTS. No. Pitgs To operate the same in one hour's time, on a lar- ger quantity .... 215 95 The receipt of the vinegar called the grand con- stables Vinegar . . . 316 95 To increase the strength and sharpness of the vinegar . . . . 317 95 The secret for making good vinegar, given by a vinegar man in Paris - . . 318 95 To make vinegar with water . . 319 96 To make good vinegar with spoiled wine . S20 96 To make a dry portable vinegar . S21 90 To make a rosboiis (hat may serve as a founda- tion for other liquors . . Sa2 96 To make raspberry, strawberry, cherry or other uch waters .... 323 97 To make lemonade water at a cheap rate . S24 97 To make apricot water . S25 97 To make exceeding good lemonade . 326 97 To make a cooling cinnacnon water . s<27 97 To make annisted water . . . $28 98 To make juniper water . . . 329 98 To make good hydromel otherwise mathiglen 3 SO 98 To make angelic water . . . 331 98 To make cinnamon water . ; 332 99 To draw the essential oil of roses . . 343 102 To make mutton suit candles in imitation of wax candles - - *jL , 348 103 To make soap - . . .. 349 103 To prevent any thing burning in thfe fire . 350 104 To prevent burning one's fingers kfeelted lead 351 104 To kill all sorts of worms in cattle . 353 104 To kill maggots in sheep . . 354 104 To make an imitation of coffee . . 353 105 The odouring snuff after the method practised at Rome , . . . 389 115 The snuff with the odour of civet . 390 115 The amber snuff .... 391 115 The odouring snuff Maltese fashion . 392 115 The true Maltese method of preparing snuff 393 115 The Spanish method of perfuming snuff . 394 116 To give a red or yellow colour to snuff . 395 1 1 6 To take off iron moulds from linen . 39^ 117 To take off carriage wheel grease from cloaths 397 117 To take out pitch and turpentine spots 401 US TO restore gold and silver lace to their former beauty .... 404 118 CONTENTS. xai No. Page To make tapestries resume their first brightness when their colour has been tarnished and spoiled .... 406 US To take off spots of wax from velvet or any other colour, except crimson 407 119 To wash a gold or silver, or silk embroidery, or any stuff whatever, and render it like new 408 119 To revive the colour of a cloth . - 409 119 To take the spots off from a white cloth - 410 119 To make bitter almond buiscuits - 420 131 To purify olive oil, so that it may be eaten with pleasure 421 1 S 1 To make sage, parsley, or pennyroyal butter 422 131 To make acandle tfoat will last long 423 131 To make the distilled oil out of any herb, seed, flower, or paper, in a moment, without a fur- nace - - 424 131 The virtues of a crust of bread, eat in a morning fasting ; published by an eminent physician 430 143 To purify butter, and make it of a most bweet taste 4 3 1 143 To whiten wax .... 432 144 To make white green ivory - 433 144 Tortoise shell of horn ... 435 144 To impress figures in imitation of porcelain 436 144 To prepare a mould that need hot be heated to cast metal in .... 437 145 To make tin flow easy - - - 441 145 To solder horn - - 443 145 To etch upon either knives or sword blades. To prepare the etch water 446 146 To make the ground - - 447 14 To etch a great number of knives together - 448 1 46 To make blue letters on sword blades - 449 146 To take casts of metals - - 478 178 V. Tarnish fine and white ; 63 28 Varnish to prevent the rays of the sun from pass- ing through the panes of window glass 64 28 Varnish to lay on after isinglass . . . 70 3d Varnish water proof 71 SO Varnish made by Callot ". , . % 72 31 Varnish to lay on paper . . . . 73 31 Varnish for rendering silk water and air tight 89 3 Varnish for toilet boxes> cases, fans, &c. . 92 sr Varnish for violins and other musical instruments 93 3*7 xiv CONTENTS. We. Varnish seed lac . . . . 94 37 Varnish shell -lac ..... 95 37 Varnish a chimney . . . . . 146 >50 Varnish which suits all sorts of prints and pic- ture-; stands water, and makes the work shining as glass 147 50 Varnish to he laid on gilding and silvering 238 75 Virginal miik . . . 347 103 W. Whiten iron like silver . . . IS 17 Whiten copper so as to make fine figures with it 44 23 Write on paper with letters of gold . 96 3S Whiten brass or copper by boiling . 104 41 Whole process of making ultramine wash to clean pictures 128 47 White for printers which may be preserved for ever 132 48 White for ladies paint . . 133 48 Water to gild iron ... 228 73 Wafers .... * 438 145 Water to tin all sorts of metals, but especially iron 440 146 Wood cast in moulds as fine as ivory . 451 ]47 White varnish for clock faces . . 452 147 SECRETS ARTS and TRADES. 1. CALICO PRINTING. /ALICO printing is the art of communicating different colours to particular ?pots, or figures, on the surface of cot- ton or linen cloth, while the rest of the stuff retains its origi- nal whiteness. This ingenious art seems to have originated in India, where we know it has been practised for more than 2000 years. It has but lately been cultivated in Europe, but the enlightened industry of our manufacturers has already improved prodig- iously upon the tedious processes of their Indian masters. No art has arisen to perfection with greater celerity : a hundred years ago it was scarcely known in Europe; at present, the elegance of the patterns, the beauty and permanency of the colours, and the expedition with which the different operati- ons are carried on, are really admirable. Calico printing consi ts in impregnating those parts of the cloth which are to receive a colour? with a mordant, and then dyeing it as usual with some dye stuff or other. The dye stuff attaches itself firmly only to that part of the cloth which has received the mordant. The whole surface of the cotton is indeed mare or less tinged, but by washing it, and bleaching it for some days on the grass, with the wrong side uppermost, all the unmordanted parts resume their original colour, while those which have received the mordant retain if. Let us sup- pose that a piece of white cotton cloth is to receive red stripes ail the parts where the stripes are to appear are pen- cilled over with a solution of acetite of alumine ; after this, the cloth is dyed in the usual manner with madder. Whea taken out of th^ Hvpinv* VPSS/*! ifr is allnf a rprl rnlnnr. Knf hv SECRDTS 5N ARTS AND TRADES. and bleaching, the madder leaves every part of the cioch >sh : .tc, excepi ihe .stripes impregnated with the acetite of alumine, which remain red. In the same manner may yel- low stripes, or any other wished-for figure, be given to cloth, by substituting quercitron bark, weld, &c. for madder. When different colours are to be given to different parts of the cloth at the same time, it is done by impregnating it with various merdants. Thus, if stripes be drawn upon a cotton cloth with acetite of alumine, and other stripes with acetite of iron, and the cloth be afterwards dyed in the usual way with madder, and then washed and bleached, it will be striped red and brown. The same mordants with quercitron bark, give^//o SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. printing would be brought to the greatest possible simplicity ^ but at present, this can only lie done in one case, that of in- digo ; every other colour requires dyeing. Compositions, in- deed, may be made, by previously combining the dye stuff and the mordants. Thus yellow may be applied at once, by employing a mixture of the infusion of quercitron bark and acetite of alumine; red> by mixing the same mordant with the decoction of alumine, and so on. The colours applied in this way, are, unfortunately, far inferior in permanency to those produced when the mordant is previously combined with the cloth, and the dye stuff afterwards applied separate- ly. In this way are applied almost all the fugitive colours of calicoes, which washing, or even exposure to the air, des- troys. As the application of colours in this way cannot always be avoided by calico printers, every method of rendering them more permanent is an object of importance. 2. BLEACHING OF COTTON. Cotton is a filamentous substance, or a kind of down which envelopes the seeds of the cotton plant. This plant or shrub comes from the east, and grows only in warm clim- ates. This substance, after being separated from the seeds, is al- ways charged with a coarse colouring matter, which soils it, and renders it opaque. The presence of this unctuous mat- ter is proved by the slowness with which cotton absorbs water "before it is scoured, and by the force with which it absorbs it after the operation ; by which means, from being opaque, it 5s rendered clear and transparent. Cotton varies a great deal in its qualities, according to the different kinds, the climate where produced, and the culture employed. Its colour is sometimes yellow, and sometimes white, but, in general, it is of a dirty yellow. To bleach it, does not require the same preparations as hemp and flax. The first operation consists in scouring it in a slight alkaline solution, or, what is better, by exposure to steam. It is afterwards put into a basket, and rinsed in run- ning water. The immersing of cotton in an alkaline ley, however it be rinsed, always leaves with it an earthy deposit. It is well known that cotton bears the actions of acids better than hemp or flax ; that time is even necessary before the action of them can be prejudical to it, and by taking advan- tage of this valuable property in regard to bleaching, means have been found to free it from the earthy deposit, by pressing clown the cotton in a very weak solution of sulphuric acid, and afterwards removing the acid by washing, let too long in it should destroy the cotton, SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. s. BLEACHING OF PAPER. The oxygenated muriatic acid has also been applied to the bleaching of paper, which it has rendered considerably more expeditious. ii leaching of old printed papers, to be worked up again. Boil the paper for an instant in a solution of soda, rendered caus- tic by potash. Steep it in soap-water, and then wash it, after which the paper may be reduced to a pulp by the paper-mill. Bleaching of old written papers to be worked again. Steep the papers in a cold solution of sulphuric acid in water, after which waoh them before they are taken to the mill. If the acidulated water be. heated, it will be the more effectual. Bleaching of printed papers without destroying the texture of the leaves. Steep the leaves in a caustic solution of soda, and afterwards in one of soap. Arrange the sheets alternately between cloths, in the same manner as paper-maker- dispose their sheets of paper when delivered from the form. Put the leaves in a press, and they will become whiter, unless they were originally loaded with printer's ink or size. If this should not completely effect the whitening of the leaves, re- peat the process a second, or even a third time. Bleaching coloured rags to make white paper. Soak or mace- rate the rags sufficiently put them into a solution of caustic alkali, and then into the oxygenated muriatic acid, and lastly Steep them in diluted sulphuric acid. 4. OF ENGRAVING. Engraving, or graving as it is generally called, is cutting lines upon a copper-plate, by means of a steel instrument, called a graver, without the use of aqua fortis. This was the first way of producing copper-plate prints that was practised, and is still much used in historical sub- jects, portraits, and in finishing landscapes. The tools necessary for this art are, gravers, a scraper, a burnisher, an oil stone, a sand bag, an oil rubber, and some good charcoal The gravers are instruments of tempered steel, fitted into a short wooden handle. They are of two sorts, square and lozenge ; the first is used in cutting very broad strokes, the other for fainter and more delicate lines. The scraper is a three-edged tool, for scraping off the buns jaised by the graver. Burnishers are for rubbing down any lines that are too deep, or burnishing out any scratches or holes in the copper : they are of very hard steel, well round- ed and polished. The oil stone j for whetting the gravers, etching points,&c, * SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. The sand-bag, or cushion, is for laying the plate upon, for the conveniency of turning it round in any direction. The oil-rubber and charcoal are for polishing the plate when necessary, As great care is required to whet the graver nicely, partic- ularly the belly of it, care must be taken to lay the two an- gles of the graver which are to be held next the plate flat upon the stone, and rub them steadily, till the belly rises gradually above the plate, so as that, when you lay the gra- ver flat upon it, you may just perceive the light under the point ; otherwise it will dig into the copper, and then it will be impossible to keep a point, or execute the work with free- dom. In order to this, keep your right arm close to your side, and place the fore finger of your left hand upon that part of the graver which lies upermort on the stone. When this is done, in order to whet the face, place the flat part of the handle in the hollow of your hand, with the belly of the graver upwards, upon a moderate slope, and rub the extrem- ity, or face, upon the stone, till it has an exceedingly sharp point, which you may try upon your thumb-nail. When the graver is too hard, as is usually the case when first bought, and may be known by the frequent breaking of the point, the method of tempering it is as follows : Heat a poker red-hot, and hold the graver upon it, within half an inch of the point, till the steel changes to a li^ht straw col* our ; then put the point into oil, to cool ; or, hold the gra- ver close to the flame of a candle, till it be of the same colour, and cool it in the tallow ; but be careful either way, not to hold it too long, for then it will be too soft ; and in this case, the point, which will then turn blue, must be tempered again. Be not too hasty in tempering ; for sometimes a little whet- ting will bring it to a good condition, when it is but a little too hard. To hold the graver, cut off that part of the handle which is upon the same line with the belly, or sharp edge of the graver, making that side flat, that it may be no obstruction. Hold the handle in the hollow of your hand ; and, extend- ing your fore finger towards the point, let it rest on the back of the graver, that you may guide it flat and parallel with the plate. Take care that your fingers do not interpose between the plate and the graver ; for they will hinder you from car- rying the graver level with the plate, and from cutting your Strokes so clean as they ought to be. To lay the design upon the plate, after you have polished it, fine and smooth, heat it so that it will melt virgin-wax, with which rub it thinly and equally over, and let it cool. Then the design which you lay on, must be drawn on paper, with a black-lead percil, and laid upon the plate, with its penciled side upon the wax, then press it to, and with a bur* SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRASDE 9 nisher go over every part of the design, and when you take off the paper, you will find every line which you drew with the black-lead pencil upon the waxed plate, as if it had been drawn ; then with a sharp pointed tool trace all your design through the wax upon the plate, and you may then take off the wax, and proceed to work. Let the table, or board you work at, be firm and steady, upon which place your sand bag with the plate upon it ; and,, holding the graver as above directed, proceed in the following manner : For straight stroke-, hold your plate firm upon the sand- bag with your left hand, moving your right hand forwards ; leaning lighter where the strokes should be fine, and harder where you would have it broader. For circular or crooked strokes, hold the graver stedfast, moving your hand or the plate, as you see convenient. Learn to carry your hand with such dexterity, that you may end your stroke as finely as you began it ; and if you have occasion to make one part deeper or blacker than an- other, do it by degrees ; and that you may do it with great- er exactness, take care that your strokes be not too close, nor too wide. In the course of your work scrape off the roughness which arises, with your semper ; but be careful, in doing this, not to scratch the plate ; and that you may see your work pro- perly as you go on, rub it with the oil-rubber, and wipe the plate clean, which will take off the glare of the copper, and shew what you have done to the best advantage. Any mistakes or scratches in the plate may be rubbed out with the burnisher, and the part levelled with the scraper, polishing it again afterwards lightly with the burnisher, or charcoal. Having thus attained the use of the graver, according to the foregoing rules, you will be able to finish the piece you had etched, by graving up the several parts to the colour re- quired ; beginning, a : > in the etching, with the fainter parts, and advancing gradually with the stronger, till the whole is completed. The dry point or needle (so called because not used till the ground is taken off the plate) is principally employed in the extremely light parts of water, pi ration is to transfer the design to the plate. l ; or this purpoM- a tracing on oiled paper rnu-t now be made from the design to be etched, with pen and ink, having ;i vciy small quantity of ox's gall mixed with it, to make the oiled paper take it ; also a piece of thin paper, of the same si/.e, inn t be rubbed over with red chalk, powdered, by means of oine cotton. Then laying the red ci.alked paper, \vith its chalked ide next the ground, on the plate, put the tracing ovei it, and fasten them both together, and to the plate, by a little bit of the bordering-wax. When all this i, prepared, take a blunt etching needle, nncl go gently all over the lines in the tracing; by which means the chalked paper will be piw.cd again -t the ground, anil the lines of tin-tracing will be tran .'erred to it : on taking off the papcis, they will be seen distinctly. The plate is now prepared for drawing through the lines which have been marked upon the gionnd. I'or thi^, the etch- ing-points or needles are employed, leaning hard or lightly, .avoiding to the degree of strength required in the lines. Points o<" different si-/.e* and forms are also used, for making lines of different thickness, though commonly this ib effected lay the biting-in with the aqnn fort is. A margin or border of wax must now be formed all round the plate, to hold the aqua ibrtw when it is poured in. To do SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. this, the bordering-wax already described must be put into lukewarm water to :-often it, and render it easily worked by the hand. When sufficiently pliable, it must be drawn out into long rolls, and put round the edges of the plate, press- ing it down firm, and forming it with t!. into a neat wall or margin. A spout must be formed in one corner, to pour off the aqua fort is by afterwards. The nitrous acid (.spirits of nitre) is now to be diluted with four or five times as much water, or more (according as you wish the plate to be bit quick or slow), and poured upon the plate. In a few minutes you will see minute bubbles of air filling all the lines that have been drawn on the copper, which, are to be removed by a feather ; and the plate must b and thcnjivfptj as it is called, or kept free from air bubble?. By the more or less rapid production of these bubbles, you judge of the rapidity with which the acid acts upon the cop- per. The biting-in of the plate is the most uncertain part of the process, and nothing but very great experience can enable any one to tell when the plate is bit enough, as you cannot ea-ily see the thickness and depth of the line till the ground is taken off. When you judge, from the time the acid has been on, and the rapidity of the biting, that those lines which you wish to be the faintest are as deep as you wish, you pour off the aqua fortis by the spout, wash the plate with water, and dry it, by blowing with bellows, or by the fire, taking care not to melt the ground. Those lines that are not intended to be bit any deeper, must now be stopped up with turpentine-varnish mixed with a little lamp-black, and laid on with a camel's hair pencil; and when this is thoroughly dry, the aqua-fortis may be poured on again, to bite the other lines that are required to be deeper. This process of stopping out and biting-in is to be repeated as often as there are to be lines of different degrees of thick- ness, taking care not to make any mistake in stopping-out wrong lines. [t is also necessary to be particularly careful to stop out, with the varnish, those parts from which the groand may happen to have come off by the action of the acid, otherwise you will have parts bit that were not intended, which is called fou! bit' ing. When the biting-in is quite finished, the ne*t? operation is to remove the bordering-wax and the ground, iri order that you may see what success you have had; for till then, this can- not be known exactly. To take off the bordering-wax, the plate must be heated by a piece of lighted paper, which softens the wax in contact with the plate, and occasions it to come off quite clean. C 14 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. Oil of turpentine is now poured upon the ground, and the plate is rubbed with a bit of linen rag, which removes all the ground. Lastly, it is cleaned off with whiting. The success of the etching may now be known, but it is necessary to get an impression taken upon paper by a copper- plate printer. This impression is called a proof. If any parts are not bit so deep as were intended, the pro- cess may be repeated, provided the lines are not too faintly bit to admit of it. This second biting-in the same lines, is called re biting^ and is done as follows : Melt a little of the etching-ground on a spare piece of copper, and dab it a little, to get some on the dabber; then, having cleaned out with whiting the lines that are to be re-bit, heat the plate gently, and dab it very lightly with the dabber. By this, the parts between the lines will be covered with the ground, but the lines themselves will not be filled up, and consequently will be exposed to the action of the aqua fortis. This is a' very delicate process, and must be performed with great care. The rest of the plate must now be varnished over, the bor- dering wax put on again, and the biting repeated in the same manner as at first. If any part should be bit too deep, it is more difficult to recover it, or make it. fainter : this is generally done by bur- nishing the part down, or rubbing it with a piece of charcoal. This will make the lines shallower, and cause them not to print so black. Should any small parts of the lines have missed altogether In the biting, they may be cut with the graver ; which is also sometimes employed to cross the lines of the etching, and thus to work up a more finished effect. Dry-pointing, as it is called, is another method employed for softening the harsh effects usually apparent in an etching. This is done by cutting with the etching-point upon the cop- per without any ground or varnish, which does not make a very deep line, and is used for covering the light, where very delicate tints and soft shadows are wanting. By varying these processes of etching, graving, and dry-pointing, as is thought necessary, the plate is worked up to the full effect intended ; and it is then sent to the writing engraver, to grave whatever letters may be required to be put upon it. 6. P rustic ascid. The prussic acid is produced by exposing the horns, hoofe, or dried blood of animals, with an equal quantity of fixed alkali, to a red heat. The alkali is found to be neutralized by the acid thus form- ed, and; on evaporation, will yield a salt in crystals, which is SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. IS then called prussiate of potash or of soda 9 according to the alkali which has been employed. These p^ussiates of alkali precipitate all metals from their solution, the alkalniniting with the acid which holds the met- al in solution, whilst the prussic acid unites with the metallic oxyd, and communicates to it a peculiar colour. Thus gold is precipitated of a yellow colour, lead of a white, copper of a brownish red, and iron of a dark blue, forming a prussiate cf iron, or the substance called Prussian blue. From this substance the prussic acid may be again separat- ed, by digestion with pure alkali, the prussiate of alkali being again formed, and the iron left in the state of a brown oxyd. The Prussiat of copper has lately been prepared by Mr. Hach- ett, and is thought to be a valuable brown pigment. This acid has a sour taste, and suffocating smell, but, except its capacity of combining with alkalis and metals, it manifests no conspicuous acid properties. It does not redden the most delicate vegetable blues. It has been found in Peach stones* and is a very violent poison. 7. Nitric acid, vr a permanent ink for marking lintn* Silver with the nitric acid forms nitrate of silver) which is a colourless solution, and stains animal and vegetable sub- stances with an indelible black colour ; hence it is used as a permanent ink for marking linen ; and is employed for dying human hair black, though, for this purpose, it should be used with great caution, and much diluted, as it is extremely caustic or corrosive. Nitric acid can dissolve more than half its weight of silver, the solution depositing crystals. 8. To soften iron. Take half an ounce of tartar; two of common salt; and two and a half of verdigrease. Mix all together, and expose it in a poringer to the dew of nine nights running. This will turn into water, in which, when red hot, you may kill, your iron. 9. To melt iron so that it 'will spread under the hammer. Take equal quantities of lime, tartar, an,d alkali salt. Pour over it a sufficient quantity of cow-piss, to make a thick pap with it, which you will set a drying in the sun, or before the fire. Make an iron red hot in the fire ; then plunge in that matter. You may afterwards melt it as you would silver, and then work it in the game way when cold. 16 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 10. To give iron a temper to cut porphyry. Make your iron red hot, and plunge it in distilled water from nettles, acanthus, and pilosella, (or mouse-ears) or in the very juice pounded out of these plants. 11. To soften all sorts of metals. Take sublimated mercury, euphorbium, borax, and ammo- niac salt, of each equal parts pulverised. Project some of that powder over any metal, when in a state of fusion, and you will obtain the desired effect of making it soft. 12. To soften a sophistic metal. Take black soap and common salt, of each two ounces ; human excrements dried and pulverised, four ounces ; roch alum an equal quantity, and nitre salt, half an ounce. Incor- porate all together in a pan, over the fire, with bullock's gall ; keep stirring it till you feel no longer any saline particle. Then take C If' the pan from the fire, and let the composition cool. Of this, you may throw some into the crucible in which your metal is in fusion. 13. A good temper for arm si Take tythimalu?, or spurge ; roots of wild horse radish, bryonia, and purslain, of each equal quantities. Pound all together, so that you may get at least one pound of juice. Add to this, one pound of red haired child's water ; salt- petre, alkaline, gem and ammoniac salts, of each one drachm. When you have mixed all well together in a glass vessel, close stopped, bury it in the cellar, and there let it lie for twenty clays. Then bring it up again, and put it in a retort, to which you will adapt aod lute well its receiver, and begin to distil by a gradual fire. Now when you want to- get arms of a good temper, you have only to plunge them in this dis- tilled liquor, after having previously made them red hot in the fire. 14-. To melt iron and make it soft: Take two pounds of auripigment, and four of oil of tartar. Make the auripigment soak up all the oil of tartar, and dry it up afterwards over a soft fire. Then put small bits of iron in a crucible; and when very red, throw by little at a time, about half a pound of that auripigment, prepared as before; and you will find your iron soft and white. SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES* 17 15. To whiten iron like silver. Melt iron filings in a crucible, along with realgar, or red arsenic. Then take one ounce of that matter, and one of copper; melt all together, and put it in a coppel. It will- give you one ounce of good silver. 16. To render iron brittle^ so as to pound like glass. Take the distilled water from roch alum, plunge in it sev- en different times your pieces of iron, or steel, beaten very thin, and made red hot every time. This operation will ren- der them so brittle, that you may pound them in a mortar afterwards, as you could glass. 17. Ingredients 'which serve to the melting of iron. Iron is to be melted with any of the following ingredients ; viz. pewter, lead, marcasite, magnesia, auripigment, anti- mony, crown glass, sulphiuv ammoniac salt, citrine miribo- lans, green, or fresh pomegranate rinds, &c. Sec. 18. To melt or calcinate the blade of a sword without hurting the scabbard. You must drop into the Fcabuard of the sword some arsenic in powder, and squeeze over it some part of the juice of a lemon. Then replace the sword into its scabbard. In a quarter of an hoar afterwards, or little more, you will see what a surprising effect this will have. 19. To jix mercury. Take verdigrease in powder, which put in a crucible. Make a hole in that powder, and place in it a knot of mercu- ry previously impregnated with white of eggs water. Cover this knot over with borax, and add again over this some more verdigrease and pounded glass, one or two finger's deep. Lute well the lid of the crucible, and give a pretty smart fire, though gradually and not at once, for the space of two hours, 20. To rejine pewter. Take fine pewter, and put it into a crucible. When melt- ed project over it, at different times, some nitre, till it comes to a perfect calcination. Repeat this three times, pounding the matter into powder, which mix with charcoal dust* Be- ing thu? melted, it will resume its former substance of pew- ter, with this difference, that it will be refined to an infinite- ly superior degree. C 2 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRAMS. 21. A spirit which will dissolve all sorts cf stone. Take rye-flour, and make small balls with it, which yon will dry. then put them into a retort well luted, and place it over a gradual fire, to draw the spirits by distillation. Any stone whatever will dissolve in it. 22. To extract mercury from lead. Take lead and beat it into sheets, or laminas, very fine. Put these in a glass vessel with common salts, a double quan- tity of the lead. Cover this well, and bury it under ground for nine days at least. After that time, if you open the ves- sel again, you will find y6ur lead turned all into running mercury or quicksilver, at the bottom of it. 23. The compositions cf cast mirrors and cylinders* Take one pound and a half of red copper, eight ounces of refined pewter, one and a half of stellated mars-regulus^ otherwise regulus of antimony, half an ounce of bismuth, one and a half of nitre, and a discretionable quantity (that is to say, as much as you please) of silver. 9A. To give tools such a temper as ivill enable them to saiu marble. Mike the tool red hot in the fire, and, when red cherry colour, take it off from the fire, rub it with apiece of candle, and steep it immediately in good strong vinegar, in which you shall have diluted some soot. 25. To soften iron, and harden it afterwards tnort than it was before. 1. Make a little chink lengthways in an iron bar, in which pour melted lead. Then make it evaporate by a strong fire, as that for copelling. Renew this operation four or five, times, and the bar will become very soft. You harden it afterwards in steeping it, when red hot, in mere forge water, and it will be of so good a temper, as to be fit for lancets,, razors and knives, with which you will be able to cut other iron, without its splitting or denting. 2. It has been found, by experience, that an armour can never be good proof against fire arms, if it has not first beenr softened with oils, gums, wax and other incerative things, and afterwards hardened, by steeping them several times over in binding waters. SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. i <> 26. The transmutation of iron into damask steel. You must first purge it of its usual brittleness ; and, after having reduced it into filings, make it red hot in a crucible; steep it several times in oil of olives, in which you shall have before thrown several times melted lead. Take care to cov- er the vessel in which the oil is contained, every time you throw your steel into it, for fear the oil should catch fire. 27. To guard iron against rusting. Warm your iron till you can no more touch it without burning yourself. Then rub it with new and clean white wax. Put it again to the fire, till it has soaked in the wax. When done, rub it over with a piece of serge, and this iron will never rust. 28. To cut peW.es 'with ease. Boil it a good while in some mutton suet, and will cut it very easily. 29. A projection en copper. 1. Take fine pewter two ounces, which you will melt in a crucible. When melted, throw in it by little at a time, the same weight of flour of brimstone. Stir every time with a rod, till you see both your pewter and sulphur well calcina- fed. Then take the crucible out of the fire, and throw in half 'an ounce of crude mercury. Let it cool, and pulverise this. 2. Now melt four ounces of molten copprr. When in ood fusion, project on it, by degrees, one ounce of the above powder, stirring carefully, while you do it, with a stick. Leave it thus in fusion for a little while,, and then you may use it for making all sorts of plates. It is so beautiful, that, if you test it on the coppel with lead, it will stand it perfectly,, 30. The preparations cf emery. 1. Calcine eastern, or Spanish emery, three or four times in the fire ; then let it cool. Pound it and make strata super strata of it, with double the quantity of sulphur-vivum in powder. Leave this crucible in the furnace with a strong fire during three or four hour*. Repeat this process four different times over, then reduce your emery into an impal- pable powder. Put it next into a matrass, pour over it regal water, that it swim over by three fingers deep. Put this in digestion for eight hours. Pour off by inclination your regal 20 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES* water, impregnated with the dye. Put new water on your matter, and set it on digesting again far eight other hours, as the former. Then take your thus tinged waters, which you. will mix and put in a retort. Distil most part of it, till you see what remains in the retort is yellow. This is the true oil of emery, in which you put the bigness of a filbert of camphire* 2. Exsulphurate in a crucible, on a good fire, and during two hours, what quantity you plea-ie of arsenic. Then take two ounces of the aforesaid oil of emery, one of your exsuU phurated arsenic, an equal quantity of salt of tartar drawn with distilled vinegar, two of sublimate, and two of silver ; which you will have dissolved in an aqua fonts made with nitre and vitriol. Put all together in a matrass, so large that the composition should occupy no more than a third part of it, of which you shall have cut the neck off, to obtain a more easy evaporation of the compounds from it. Put thij matrass in the sand as high as the matter, and give it a moderate fire for two hour^, then a strong one for bix ; let the fire go out of itself. Then you will find your matter in a stone in the matrass. Take it out, and pound it into powder, projested upon another ounce of salt in fusion ; if you keep it a little while in that state, and throw it afterwards into oil of olives, will increase your gold by a third of its primary quality, and rather more : And you may thus increase it again and agai:., by repeating the same operation. 31. To render tartar fusible and penetrating. 1. Stratify cakes of white tartar with vine branches* When done, set them on fire by the top, and when arrived at the bottom, your tartar will be calcinated. 2. Dissolve this calcined tartar in aqua *vit# 9 then pass it through the filtering paper, and next evaporate the brandy. What shall remain is the salt of tartar, which you must find to be as white as snow. Pour over it the best French spirit of wine, so that it should exceed over the salt the thickness of an inch. Set it on fire. As soon as your spirit of wine shall be all consumed, your salt of tartar will be fusible and penetrating. s. Now should you make any iron red hot, and project on it a little of tha* salt, it will penetrate it through and through, and leave after it a vestige as white as silver, in the place where it touched. 32. To break an iron bar as big as tie arm. Take melted soap, with which you will rub your iron bar at the place where you would have it break. Then with any thing take off and clean away part of that unction, in the SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES, Si middle of it, about the width of half-a-crown. Then take a sponge dipt into ardent water of three distillations, bring it round the bar, and in six hours it will break. 33. To compose a metal of a gold colour. Take refiner's copper six ounces ; melt it in a crucible j add one once of calaminary stone ; half an ounce of tutty, and one of tera merit a> in powder. Give to this a melting fire for five or six hours running, then take off the crucible from the fire. Put this composition in powder, and add to it two ounces of common mercury, six of sea salt exsicated, and a sufficient quantity of water. Set the whole a boiling, until there appear no more mercury. Then put the matter into a crucible, and place it between two fires of kindled coals, avoiding carefully the breathing of the fumes. Give this a melting fire, for two hours, then wash the composition in water, till this runs off quite clear. Set this again in the crucible ; and, when melted, pour it into an ingot. This will give you a metal, of the most beautiful gold colour, which you may make use of for plates, buckles, snuff-boxes, cane^heads, 34. Another composition of metal Take a reasonable quantity of the leaves of Persicaria urens, called Arstnart, or vulgarly Water-pepper, which you will dry in the shade. Melt in a crucible six ounces of refiners copper, and when melted, throw in one ounce of powder of the arsmart's leaves, or even half an ounce ; then cover the crucible with an iron lid, and keep this matter in fusion for the space of one hour, after which you cast it in an ingot, This progress will give you a metal which (except the colour that artists can at any time give it by an industry well known to them) has otherwise all the qualities of gold. The only de- fect is, that it cannot bear testing, and that it must therefore serve only to supply common copper which rust easily, and has not so much brightness. It may be used for candlesticks, and other similar works. We thought it was proper here to give this receipt, as it is to be wished we could make oureselves those metallic com- positions which we import from Holland, arid other coun- tries, 35. To dissolve gold in your naked hand. Distill hart's blood just killed ; and after having drawn the spirits per ascensum in baleno-maritf, cohobate again three dif- ferent times. At the third distillation you sublime all thefixt 5 22 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADE S. and when done, lute well the vessel, and keep the liquor for Tise. This liquor, carefully preserved, will dissolve gold in the naked palm of the hand. 36. To melt metals in the shell of a nut 'without burning it. Take saltpetre two ounces ; sulphur half an ounce ; oak, walnut-tree, or any other dry wood sawdust half an ounce. Let the sawdust be sifted very fine, and the saltpetre and sul- phur reduced to an impalpable powder. All this being well mixed together, fill the shell of a nut with it to the brim ; then lay it over a piece of gold, silver, or any other metal you please ; and, having covered it again with the same powder, set the fire to it, and you will see that the metal will melt and remain at the bottom of the shell. 37. Fixation of saltpetre. Melt some lead in a crucible, and project on it pulverised nitre, reiterating the projections in proportion as the matter fuses, till it is entirely melted. 38. Transmutation of iron into copper. Iron is easily changed into copper by means of the vitriol. To do this, put your iron, stratum superstratum, in a descen- sorium, and set it over a strong blast fire, pushed by bellows, till the iron melts and flows into copper. You must not for. get, when you have made your beds of vitriol, to water them a little over with vinegar saturated of saltpetre, alkaline, and tartar salt> and verdigrease. 39. To preserve the brightness of arms. Rub them with hart's marrow. Or else, dissolve some allum powder with the strongest vinegar you can find (that of Moni- pellieri which serves to make their famous verdigrease, is the fittest) and rub your arms with it. By these means, they keep for ever bright and shining. 40. To manage steel so y that it may cut iron as it 'were lead. Draw, by an alembic, the water which will come from a certain quantity of earth-worms ; join with this water an equal quantity of horse radish juice. Then temper, four or five times, in this liquor, your iron kindled red hot* That sort of steel is made use of for knives, swords and other in- struments with which you may cut iron with as much ease as 'vere lead. SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES, 23 41. 7!? soften steel. Take a discretionable quantity of garlic, rob them of their coarest pee), then boil them in oil of nuts, till reduced into an unguentum. Cover well your steel all over with that com- position, to the thickness of half a crown. When this is done, put your steel, thus covered, in the forge, in the live coals, and it will become soft. To restore it afterwards to the tem- per, called by artists red cherry colour, you must, after having made it red hot, plunge it in the coldest water. 42. To extract mercury from antimony. Take antimony and decrepitate salt, of each one pound. Mix them together, and put in a retort of two quarts. Set the retort on the bare fire, or on the gradual sand fire. Let the beak of the retort be in the water, and at the bottom of that vessel, wherein the water is, you will find the running mercury of antimony. 43. A fixation of copper ', 'which 'will be found to yield six ounces out of eight, on the test. Ta'ke two ounces of fine pewter, which melt in a crucible, adding gradually to it, after it is melted, an equal quantity in weight of flour of sulphur. When all is calcinated, and while still a little warm, add again to ii half an ounce of common -purified mercury, stirring continually with a spatula, till the mercury disappears entirely. There will come a powder, of which if you project one, on four ounces of red copper in fusion, then stir and cast in ingots, you may obtain the pro- mised advantage. 44. To whiten copper so as to make very fine figures 'with it. Take five parts of copper, which you will melt in a crucible, then throw in one part of zinc. As soon as the zinc is in it, take it off from the fire, and stir the matter a little with an iron rod, then cast it in the moulds of your figures. They ivill look like silver casted ones. 45. To give the finest colour of gold to copper, in order to make statues, or other works with it. Take one pound of copper, melt it in a crucible, then throw in it one ounce of Alexandrian tutty reduced into a subtile powder, and mixed with two ounces of bean-flour. Take care to keep stirring this matter, and to guard yourself 24 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. against the fumes. After two hours of fusion, you will take this composition off, and wash it well, and put it again in the crucible with the same quantity as before of the same pow- ders. When melted, for this second time, you may take it off, and cast it in the moulds you propose, and had prepared for it." 46. To imitate tortoiseshell on copper. Rub copper laminas over with oil of nuts, then dry them over a slow fire, supported by their extremities upon small iron bars. 47. To perform tie same on lorn. Make a cold dis olution of auripigment in filtered lime water ; then, lay some of this liquor with a brush on your comb or other horn work. Reiterate this, if you find it has not penetrated enough the first time,: and turn it, to do the same on the other side. 48. To soften metals. Take saltpetre and camphire equal parts. Dissolve them in a lye made with two parts of oak-wood ashes and one of quick lime. Pass this solution through a filtering paper, and vaporise it over a slow fire in a glass vessel. There re- sults a borax, which, thrown in metals while in fusion, soft- ens them perfectly. 49. A secret fire. Have a barrel open by one end, and pierced with a dozen of holes on the other. Put in it three or four bushels of oat- straw, cut very fine, as that which is given to horses. Get next half a bushel of barley, which have soaked for three days in lime water, and drained in a sheercloth of all the water which can run out of it. Place this wet barley in a lump over the oat straw, then cover it with other similar cut straw, and let it rest, when you thrust your hand in it, you feel it warm. This heat you may keep up, by throwing, with a gardener's watering-pot, about half a pint of water every other day. 50. To solder iron> or any other metal without fire. Take one ounce of ammoniac, and one of common salts ; an equal quantity of calcined tartar, and as much of bell- metal, with three ounces of antimony. Pound alt together and sift it. Put this into a piece of linen, and inclose it well all round with fuller's earth, about one inch thick. Let it dry, then put it between two crucibles, over a slow fire to SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 23 get heat by degrees. Push on the fire till the lump contained in the crucibles becomes quite red hot, and melt all together. Then let the vessels, and the whole, cool gradually, and pound it into powder. 2. When you want to solder any thing, put the two pieces you want to join on a table, approaching their extremities as near as you can one to another. Make a crust of fuller's earth so, that holding to each piece, and passing under the joint, it should be open over it on the top. Then throw some of your powder between and over the joint. Have again some borax, which put into hot wine till this is consumed, and with a feather rub your powder at the place of the joint ; you will see it immediately boiling. As soon as the boiling stops, the consolidation is made. If there be any roughness you must smoothen it, by rubbing with a grinding stone, for the fi4e will have no power over it. l . To solder 'with fire. Make a paste with pulverised chalk and gum water, which put around the two broken pieces placed on a table and pre- pared as before-mentioned in the preceding receipt. The only difference is, that you are to rub over the two united extremities with melted soap ; and, after having thrown some of the above powder at the place of the joint, hold a kindled piece of char- coal over it. This will immediately set the matter in fusion, wkich is no sooner done, but you may take off the paste, and you will find it consolidated. 52. An oil) one ounce $f which will last longer than one pound of any other. Take fresh butter, quick lime, crude tartar, and common salt, of each equal parts, pound and mix together. Saturate it with good brandy, and distil it in a retort, over a graduated fire, after having adapted the reciver, and luted well the joints. 53. To make borax. Take two ounces of roch-alum, dilute it, and mix it with two ounces of alkaline salt, which is used in making of glass. Put all into a pewter pot, and set it a-doing, for the space of half an hour, over a gentle fire ; then take it out of the water. Take next two ounces of gem salt in powder, as much of al - kaline salt, two pounds of virgin honey, and one of cow milk. Mix well all together, and set it in the sun for three days. Then the borax is done. se SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 54*. To render iron as white and beautiful as silver. Take ammoniac salt in powder, and mix it with an equal quantity of quick lime. Put them all together into cold wa- ter, and mix well. When done, any iron piece, which you shall have made red hot, will, if you steep it in that prepared water, become as white as silver. 55. To calcine pewter, and render it as white and hard as silver. Melt well your pewter in a crucible, so that it may be very iine and clear. Pour it afterwards into a very strong vinegar, fchen into mercurial water. Repeat that operation as many iimes as you please, you will each time give it an additional degree of hardness and whiteness, drawing near to silver ; so anuch, that it will at last be very difficult to distinguish it from cilver itself. 56. To whiten brass. 1. Take rosin and saltpetre, equal quantities. Pound all in a mortar, and reduce it into an impalpable powder. Put this into an earthen pan made red hot, and thus burn the mat- ter. As soon as done, you must wash and dry it, then grind 5t again as before, with the addition of an equal quantity of viuripigment. Then put all this into a crucible, cover it with another well luted, and having a little hole in the top, which you will stop by laying only a medal on it. When calcined, take what you will find clear in the bottom, not what will have sublimed on the top. Make a very fine powder of this matter ; and, with one single ounce of that powder, you will be able to whiten two pounds of brass, in proceeding about ii as follows. 2. Melt first your brass as usual ; and when in good fusion, cast it into very good vinegar ; an operation which you must repeat three times. Then, when you melt it for the fourth lime, you are to project on it, as we said before, one ounce only (if you have two pounds of brass) of the said powder, *vhich will render your brass as white as silver. N. B. To melt the brasr with more facility, throw in the crucible a cer- tain discretionable quantity of mice-dung. 57. A black varnish. 1. Take gum-lac, four ounces ; sandarak and black rosin, equal quantities, one ounce of each. Pulverise all separately, and keep them distinct, to proceed afterwards in their mixture according to the following directions. Dissolve the ro^in over SECRE TS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 27 the fire in a sufficient quantity of spirit of wine, then add the sandarak to it. As soon as this is dissolved, add the powder of gum-lac, and stir well till all is melted together. Strain it, while warm, through a cloth. If any- thing remain in the linen afterwards, add some more spirit of wine, to dissolve it as before, and strain it again. 2. The black colour is given to it by means of two drachms only of ivory black to every two ounces. 58. To make ivory black for the above purpose. Burn any quantity of ivory you please, in the fire, till it is black. Put it into powder on a stone of porphyry. Add some water to it, and make a paste, which you let dry. Then grind it again, as before, with spirit of wine. 59. Chinese varnish^ particularly calculated for minia- ture painting. Take one ounce of white karabe, or amber ; and one drachm of camphire, reduced into a subtile powder, and put in a matrass, with five ounces of spirit of wine. Set it in the sun to infuse, during the hottest days, stir it two or three time? a- day. After a fortnight's infusing thus, put the matrass, for one hour, over hot ashes ; then pass all through a cloth, and keep it in a bottle well corked. 60. How to make a red> with varnish of a much er hue than coral itself. Take Spanish vermillion, grind it on a marble with brandy, and add to it the sixth or eight part of lac. When done, mix this composition with as much varnish as you may find it re- quisite to apply. 61. To make sashef with cloth which will be very transparent. Take fine white cloth ; the finer, the more transparent the sashes will be. Fix the cloth very tight on a frame. Then make some starch with flour of rice, and lay a coat of it, as smooth as you can, on both side? your cloth, with a stiff brush ; let it dry. Then the following varnish, with a soft brush, having care to lay it on as equally as possible. 62. The varnish Jit for the above sashes. 1. Take of the finest and whitest wax you can find, six pounds; of the finest and clearest Venice turpentine, two > SB SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES, one and a half of the most perfect lintseed oil. Have a new and varnished pipkin, larger at least, by one third, than is re- quisite to contain all these ingredients. Put first, in this pot, the lintseed and turpentine oils together, and set it over a small charcoal fire. When this begins to be a little warm, put in the wax, cut in small bits, and take care to mix all well with a clean stick, till the wax is throroughly incorporated with the rest. 2. Now take the pot off from the fire; and, while this composition is still a little warm, give a coat of it on both sides, prepared as before directed, and let it dry in the shade. Note. You may render your sashes still more transparent, if, on both sides of them, you lay a smooth coat of the fol- lowing varnish, with a soft brush, 63. A fne white varnish. Take one pound of fine Venice turpentine, and as much of spirit of turpentine. Put this in a glass matrass, larger at least by a third, than is wanted to contain the matter. Stop this matrass with another smaller matrass. The neck of which is to enter into that of the former. Have care to lute well both necks together, with paste and paper ; and when the luting has acquired a perfect dryness, set the first matrass on a sand bath,then set the varnish a-boiling, for near an hour, after which, take it off from the fire, and let it cool. When cold, bottle and stop it for use. Note. Turpentine well purified from all its greasy parts> is the best, and fittest to make the varnish for sashes. 64% A varnish to prevent the rays of the sun from pas- sing through the panes of window-glasses. Pound gum adragant into powder, and put it to dissolve for twenty-four hours, in whitej of eggs, well beaten. Lay a coat of this on the panes of your windows, with a soft brush, and let it dry. 65. To render silk stufs transparent, after the Chinese manner ; and paint them with transparent colours like- ivise y in imitation of the India manufactured silks. Take two pounds of oil of turpentine, very clear ; add to it two ounces of mastich in grain, and the bulk of a filbert of camphire. Let this dissolve by a gentle heat ; then strain it through a cloth. Of this oil lay one coat, or two, on both sides of your stuff. Allow, however, a sufficient time between each coat, for each to dry, and let the second lie two days on before you touch ihe stuff again. When that time is over, SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 29 draw the outlines of your design, and flower?, &c. cover this with a preparation of lamp-black and gum-water. Then fill the intervals with the intended and proper colours, suitable to the purpose, and which ought to be all transparent colours, diluted with a clear varnish. When this is done, and dry, lay on both the right and wrong sides of the stuff another coat of clear varnish. 66. To make a transparent blue hue, fir the above pur- pose. Take nine drachms of ammoniac salt ; six of verdigrease* distilled and exsiccated. Put both these into powder ; dilute these powders with tortoise oil. Put this on a very thick glass, which stop well, and set over hot ashes for a week. After that time your colour will be lit for u^e, and make your drawings with the clear varnish, as directed in the preceding article. 67. To make a transparent yellow hue, for the same use. Take a new-laid egg of that very day, make a hole in the shell, to draw the white out of it. Replace, by the same hole, with the yolk, two drachms of quicksilver, and as much of ammoniac salt ; then stop the hole with wax. Set that egg in hot dung, or over a lamp fire, for four or five and twenty days. When that time is over, break the egg, and you will find a very line transparent yellow, fit for the use above men- tioned. 68. To give the abovementioned painted silks all the smell andfragrancy of the India ones. It is well known, that the silks, and other things, we re- ceive from India, are all tainted with a certain particular smell, and agreeable fragrancy, which being their peculiar, dis- tinctive, and most obvious character, if not imitated also, would help not a little in ruining the deception intended by the above labour. To imitate therefore, even this, you must observe the following direction Have a small closet, if it be for works at large ; or only a fine basket with a top to it, play- ing upon hinges, stuffed and lined all over in the inside, if it be for one single piece of silk. Put in either of them, and according to their extent, a proportionable quantity of cloves, whole pepper, mace, nutmeg, all-spice, camphire, &c. Sec. Put your works among those ingredients and keep either the closet, or the basket, perfectly close shut, till you see they so SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. have received a full impression from the odour of those ingre- dients. N. B. With the various compositions of varnishes and preparations of colours, we have just given, there is almost no sort of worb-, coming from the Indies, but can be performed and imitated. 69. The true receipt of tie English varnish, such as is laid on sticks and artificial made canes. Smoothen and polish well your sticks ; then rub them, or your artificial made canes, with a paste made of flour. Then having diluted, in water, a discretionable quantity of Flemish glue, and red orpine, give one coat of this, very smooth and equal, to your sticks. If, after this is dry, you do not think it sufficient, give them another, and let them dry. Then, give them a third coat, of clear varnish, made with turpentine and spirit of wine. After this is done, put a soaking in an equal quantity of. water and chamber-lye, some turnfol cut very- Email. With this colour you touch your sticks, or canes, here and there, with a hair brush. Then holding them per- pendicular, on their small ends, between both your hands, you roll them quick and brisk (as when you mill chocolate) in contrary senses. This operation gives them a negligent and natural-like marbling, over which you are to lay another, coat of varnish, and set them to dry. 70. A varnish to lay on> after the isinglass. Take spirit of wine, four pounds ^ white amber, fourteen ounces ; mastich, one; sandarak, seven. Put all in digestion-, for twenty-four hours. Then, set the matrass on the sand, and give the fire for three hours, till all is perfectly dissolved. Add. after four ounces of turpentine oil. 71* A varnh h water proof* Take lintseed oil, the purest you can find, put it in a well glazed pipkin, over red-hot charcoals, in a chafing dish. With that oil add, while a warming, about the fourth part of its weight of rosin. Make all dissolve together, and boil gently, lest it should run over the pot. At first, the oil will turn all into a scum ; but, continuing to let it boil, that scum will insensibly waste itself and dissappear at last. Keep up the fire till taking a little of that oil, with a stick, you see it draw to a thread, like as varnish does. Then take it off from the fire. But if, trying it thus, it prove too thin, add soia morerosia to it, and continue to boil it* SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. $t 2. When it is come as it ought to be, varnish whatever you want with it, and set it in the sun to dry, or before the fire ? for it cannot dry without the assistance of either of these. N. B. This composition of varnish has this particular property, viz. that, if you lay it on wooden wares, hot water itseif cannot hurt it, nor have the least power on it. You may* therefore, make a very extensive use of it. But you must take care to choose the finest and the most perfect rosin, and to boil it well, for a longtime. Quaere, Would not such a varnish he extremely useful, to preserve what is much exposed to the injuries tfthe weather in gardens and elsewhere $. such as sashei ) statues, frames, hot-houses, &c. ? 72. Callot's varnish. 1. Take two ounces of the finest lintseed oil ; benjamin, in drops, two drachm;;- virgin wax, the bulk of a filbert. Boil all this together, till it is reduced to onethiid ; and, while it is a boiling, never cease to stir with a little stick. When done, bottle, or put it in a large mouthed vessel. 2. To use that varnish, warm a little the plate you intend to engrave upon ; and, takir.g a little of the varnish with the tip of your finger, spread it delicately over the plate. Observe to put as little of it as you can, and to lay it on as smooth and as equal as possible. When done, smoke the plate, on the varnished side, with a candle, passing and repassing it gently, over the flame of it, till it is black every where. Set it again, now, on the chafing-dish, wherein are kindled char- coals ; and, when the plate has done fuming, then the varnish is sufficiently hardened. You may then chalk, draw, and etch, whatever you will on it. Such is the true receipt of the varnish, which the famous Gallot made use of, to engrave his most admired and truly admirable subjects. 73. *A varnish to lay on paper. Begin by laying on your paper one first coat of very clear and thin size. This being dry, melt three parts of oil of spike and one of rosin together ; and, when come to the consistence of a varnish, you lay one second and light coat of this over the first made with size. This varnish is very fine, when very smoothly and equally laid on. 74. To imitate porphyry. Take English brown red, if too red, add a little umber to it, or some soot. Pound all into powder. Then have a marble stone, of a fine polish, which over-lay with oil. Make a col- 32 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. our composed of brown red, and a little flat, or Venetian lake, previously grinded with gum adragant. Then, with a largish brush, take of that colour, and asperse oiled marble with it, by striking the handle of the brush on your wrist (as book- binders stain the covers of their books.) When your marble shall have been thus well speckled all over with that red col- our, you let it dry. Then taking your Jump of brown red and umber, dilute it, make a thin paste of it, and lay it on your speckled marble. When this is also dry, it admits of a very fine polish, and looks like porphyry. 75. A subtile mastich to mend all sorts of broken vessels. Take white3 of eggs, and beat them well to a froth. Add to this soft curd cheese, and quick-lime, and begin beating a-new all together. This may be used in mending whatever you will, even glasses, and will stand both fire and water. 76. A glue to lay upon gold. Boil an eel's skin, and a little quick-lime together ; when boiled gently for the space of half an hour, strain it, and add some whites of eggs beaten ; bottle, and keep it for ude. The method to use it afterwards, is to warm it, and iay a coat of it on marb e, delph, Worcester, Stafford, or any other earthen wares, &c. and when nearly dry, write, paint, or draw what you please on it with a pencil, and gold in shell. 77. A cold cement for cisterns and fountain;. Take litharge and boil in powder, of each two pounds ; yellow ochre and rosin, of each four ounces; mutton suit, live ounces ; mastich and turpentine, of each two ounces ; oil of nuts, a sufficient quantity to render maleable. Work these all together ; and then it is fit for ti^e. 7S. A lute to join broken vessels. Dissolve gum arabic in chamber- 1 ye over a chaftngdivh j itir with a stick till perfectly di. solved, then add an equal weight of flour, as you had of gum arabic, and concoct the whole for one quarter of an hour, or more, if requisite. 79. To make sealing wax. Take shell-lac, &c. pound them all into a very fine and impalpable powder. Then have two wooden pallets present upon them, before the fire some powder of one sort to melt, then move and stir it with the said pallets. Take again of another powder in the same manner, and mix it in the same way SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. S3 before the fire with the first. Then another and another, till they are all by this method, perfectly well amalgamated to- gether. 2. Have now some cinnabar in powder, which put in a pan with water. In that water and cinnabar powder, set to in- fuse, or only touch your incorporated gums, to make this composition take colour. When thus sufficiently coloured, take it out of the water with both your hands and the wood- en pallets, and have a person to help you. This having wet- ted his hand, will draw some of the said gum, and handling it on a table, will form the sticks. For two pounds of gums, two ounces of cinnabar are wanted. 80. An excellent sealing wax by Girardot. Put four ounces of rosin, and four and a half of whitening, and melt them together in a non-varnished pipkin, over kind- led coals. While this is in fusion, have another pot, similar to this, in which you keep two ounces of shell-lac, in disso- lution with vinegar. Now steep a wooden stick in the first pot, and another in the other pot ; then, over a chafingdish, turn quickly, one over another, the ends of your two sticks together, to mix and incorporate well what matter they shall have brought along with them from each pipkin. And after having turned them thus a reasonable time, you see both mat- ters are well embodified, steep them, at different times, in a prepared liquor to colour them. 81. A cement to render crystal like diamonds, and give the sapphires of Alenson a hardness to cut glass with ease. Make a strong dough with sifted barley flour and petroly, (or rock-oii.) Divide this paste in two equal parts. In one of them range your stones, so that they should not touch one another. With the other part of your paste cover thrs. Wrap up the whole with a good lute, and give it a wheel iire'for four or five hours, gradually increasing the strength of the fire between every two hours. Then you will have a lump of stones, which will sparkle like true diamonds. 82. A. paste, which will produce at beautiful emeralds as natural ones. Calcine, six different times, rock crystal, and plunge it, as many times, in pure cold water. Grind it into powder, on a rock crystal stone, with a mullar of the same. When you have rendered the powder very fine and impalpable, to one S4 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. pound of it, add another of salt of tartar, drawn from red tartar, mixed well. Join to this, 60 grains of red copper, and fifteen of silver, both in shell, but grinded separately. Now mix the last powders with the former, on a marble stone, and put all together in a clean and double heated crucible. Lute it well with its lid, and, when the lute is perfectly dry, put the crucible for six days on a clear, but gentle fire ; then in- crease the fire till the crucible becomes red hot, place it im- mediately in the ardent and glass melting furnace, and keep it there in the same degree of heat for a month, without in- terruption. Then let the crucible cool gradually in the fur- nace, which is done by letting the fire go out of itself, hav- ing previously stopped all the holes and openings of the fur- nace. When you break it, you will find a beautiful green, which is fit to cut by the lapidary. Note. Be careful of this composition, for it has all the merit ami advantage of the true emerald. It vies with it in weight, colour, and hardness. In short, the greatest connois- seurs cannot distinguish these emeralds from the finest real ones. 83. To soften crystal. Redden it in the fire, and when full of fire, plunge it ia mutton and lamb's blood, mixed and warmed together. Rei* t crate this two or three times, and it will be soft. 84. To counterfeit diamonds. 1. Melt by means of fire, some transparent pebbles. Grind them next into a very fine powder, then set this powder again a-melting on the fire. Put your stones afterwards in a paste of barley flour, and bake under ashes, the diamonds will be done. 2. To give them a proper water, nothing else is to be done but put them in aqua vite, which having set fire to, let burn out entirely. By that operation they acquire the right col- our of diamonds. 85. A composition, the fundamental basis of all enamels. 1. Grind on marble, and sift through a very fine sieve, equal quantities of lead and pewter-calx. Put it in a var- nished pipkin filled over with water. Boil it some while ; then pour it by inclination, into another vessel. Put new wa- ter, to boil again over the calx, and decant it as before, on the first water : which process you repeat till you have en- tirely dissolved all the calx. If some part of the metal re- main at the bottom, too gross to be entirely carried by the SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 35 waters, it must be put in a melting-glass furnace to calcine, having care to take out, in proportion as it turns into calx, the upper part of the matter. When it is all calcined, contin- ue dissolving it, by means of boiling water, as you did the first. When you have got all your waters of dissolution, vaporise them over a slow fire ; and particularly towards the end of the evaporation, have a singular care that the fire be not too fierce, which then remains at the bottom, very fine and subtilized. To twenty-five pounds of this calx add an equal weight of frit, made of tarce, or white sand, well pounded and sifted through a very fine sieve, and four ounces of white salt of tar- tar, pounded and sifted in the same manner. Put these ingredi- ents in a melting-glass furnace ; melt and purge them there for ten hours. Then having taken the pot off from the fire take out the matter, which, after having well pulverised, keep it in a close dry place, where dust cannot come at it. Such is the first and principal matter to be used in the composi- tion of enamels, of whatever sort of colour you want to make them. 86. Precipitating Silver by Copper. Copper has a much greater affinity with oxygen than sil- ver ; consequently, the silver is precipitated from its solutions as a fine silver dust, by metallic copper. This likewise af- fords a means to discover what portion of silver may be con- tained in an alloy of silver and copper. A quantity of the mixture determined by weight is dissolved in nitric acid ; the solution is diluted with water, filtered, and a plate of copper hung in it, till no more precipitate falls down. Then the weight of the precipitate, when edulcorated, is compared with that of the whole alloyed metal put to trial. This silver dust well washed, and mixed with gum-water, serves as a pigment in water painting. 87. Separating Silver from Copper ly an Alkaline Sulphuret. The affinity cf copper with sulphur is stronger than that of silver. Upon this ground, liver of sulphur (sulphuret of pot-ash) has been proposed as an expedient to free silver from copper ; for if silver holding copper be fused with alkaline sulphuret, the base metal combines with the latter, and is converted into scoriae floating on the silver. $8. Mt\ Keir's mode of separating Siher from Copper. Chemists have long been acquainted with the compound acid, called aqua regia (nitro muriatic acid,) which has the 36 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. exclusive property of dissolving gold. The discovery of a compound acid, acting exclusively upon silver, is owing to our cotempory, Mr. KEIR. This compound acid is made by dissolving one pound of nitrate of pot-ash (common nitre or salt-petre,) in eight or ten pounds of sulphuric acid (oil of vitriol,] or by mixing to- gether sulphuric and nitric acids. This acid dissolves silver easily, while it will not attack copper, iron, lead, gold, or platina. 89. A Varnish for rendering Si/k water and air-tight. To render the linseed-oil drying, boil it with two ounces of sugar of lead, and three ounces of litharge, for every pint of oil, till the oil has dissolved them ; then put a pound of bird-lime, and half a pint of the drying oil, into a pot of iron or copper, holding about a gallon ; and let it boil gently over a slow charcoal fire, till the bird-lime ceases to crackle ; then pour upon it two pints and a half of drying oil, and boil it for about an hour longer, stirring it often with an iron or wood- en spatula. As the varnish, in boiling, swells much, the pot should be removed from the fire, and replaced when the var- nish subsides. While it is boiling, it should be occasionally examined, in order to determine whether it has boiled enough. For this purpose, take some of it upon the blade of a large knife, and after rubbing the blade of another knife upon it, separate the knives ; and when, on their separation, the var- nish begin? to form threads between the two knives, it has boiled enough, and should be removed from the fire. When it is almost cold, add about an equal quantity of spirits of turpentine ; mix both well together, and let the mass rest till the next day ; then having warmed it a little, strain and bot- tle it. If it is too thick, add spirits of turpentine. This var- nish should be laid upon the stuff when perfectly dry, in a luke-warm state ; a thin coat of it upon one side, and about twelve hours after, two other coats should be laid on, one on eaeh side ; and in twenty-four hours the silk may be used. 90. Mr. Blanchard's Varnish f&r Air-lallons. Dissolve elastic gum (Indian rubber,) cut small, in five times its weight of spirits of turpentine, by keeping them some days together ; then boil one ounce of this solution in eight ounces of drying linseed-oil for a few minutes, and strain it. Use it warm. 91. To dissolve Gum-Copal in Spirits of Wine. Dissolve half an ounce of camphor in a pint of alkohol, or spirits of wine ; put it into a circulating glass, and add four SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES- s 7 ounces of copal, in small pieces ; set it in a sand-heat so reg- ulated, that the bubbles may be counted as they rise from the bottom ; and continue the same heat till the solution is completed. Camphor acts more powerfully upon copal than any other substance. If copal is finely powdered, and a small quantity of dry camphor rubbed with it in the mortar, the whole be- comes in a few minutes a tough coherent mass. The process above described will dissolve more copal than the menstru- um will retain when cold. The most economical method will therefore be, to set the vessel which contains the solution by for a few days ; and when it is perfectly settled, pour off the clear varnish, and leave the residuum for a future operation. This is a very bright solution of copal i it is an excellent varnish for pictures, and mav perhaps be found to be an im- provement in fine japan w , as the stoves used in drying those articles may drive off the camphor entirely, and leave the copal pure and colourless upon the work. AT. B. Copal will dissolve in spirit of turpentine, by the addition of camphor, with the same facility, but not in the same quantity, as in alkohoj. 92. A Varnish for Toilet Boxes, Cases, Fans, t&c. Dissolve two ounces of gum-mastich, and eight ounces of gum-sandarach, in a quart of alkohol ; then add four ounces of Venice turpentine. 93. A Varnish for Violins, and other Musical Intern- ments. Put four ounces of gum-sandarach, two ounces of lac, two ounces of gum-mastich, an ounce of gum-elemi, into a quart of alkohol, and hang them over a slow fire till they are dis- solved ; then add two ounces of turpentine. 94. Seed-lac Varnish. Take spirits of wine, one quart ; put it in a wide mouthed bottle, add thereto eight ounces of seed-lac, that is large grained, bright, and clear, free from dirt and sticks ; let it stand two days, or longer, in a warm place, often shaking it. Strain it through a flannel into another bottle, and it is fit for use. 95. Shell-lac Varnish. Take one quart of spirits of wine, eight ounces of the thin- S3 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. nest and most transparent shell-lac, which, if melted in the flame of a candle, will draw out in the longest and finest hair ; mix and shake these together, and let them stand in a warm place for two days, and it is ready for use. This varnish is softer than that which is made from seed-lac, and therefore is not so useful ; but may be mixed with it for varnishing wood, &c. 96. To write on Paper with Letters of Gold. Put some gum arabic into common writing ink, and write with it in the usual way. When the writing is dry, breathe on it ; the warmth and moisture softens the gum, and will cause it to fasten on the gold leaf, which may be laid on in the usual way, and the superfluous part brushed off. Or in- stead of this, any japanners size may be used. 97. Gilding by Amalgamation Is by previously forming the gold into a paste, or amal- gam, with mercury. In order to obtain an amalgam of gold and mercury, the .gold is first to be reduced into thin plates or grains, which are heated red-hot, and thrown into mercury previously heat- ed, till it begins to smoke. Upon stirring the mercury with an iron rod, the gold totally disappears. The proportion of mercury to gold, is generally as six or eight to one. 98, An improved Process for Gilding Iron or StetL This process, which is less known among artists than it de- serves to be, may prove useful to those who have occasion to gild iron or steel. The first part of the process consists in pouring over a solution of gold in nitro-muriatic acid (aqua regia) about twice as much ether, which must be done with caution, and in a large vessel. These liquids must then be shaken together ; as soon as the mixture is at rest, the ether will be seen to separate itself from the nitro-muriatic acid, and to float on the surface. The nitro-muriatic acid becomes more transparent, and the ether darker than they were before; the reason of which is, that the ether has taken the gold from the acid. The whole mixture is then to be poured into a glass funnel, the lower aperture of which is small ; but this aperture must not be opened till the fluids have completely separated themselves from each other. It is then to be open- ed ; by which means the liquid which has taken the lowest place by its greater gravity, viz. the nitro-muriatic acid, will run off; after which, the aperture is to be shut, and the fun- nel will then be found to contain nothing but ether mixed SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES- 8* with the gold ; which is to be put into well closed bottles, and preserved for use. In order to gild iron or steel, the metal must first be well polished with the finest emery, or rather with the finest crocus martis, or colcothar of vitriol, and common brandy. The auriferous ether is then to be ap- plied with a small brush ; the ether soon evaporates, and the gold remains on the surface of the metal. The metal may then be put into the fire, and afterwards polished. By means of this auriferous ether, all kinds of figures may be delineated on iron, by employing a pen, or fine brush. It is in this mknner, we believe, that the Sohlinger sabre blades are gilded. Instead of ether, the essential oils may be used, such as oil of turpentine, or oil of lavender, which will also take gold from its solution. 99. Cold Gilding of Silver. Dissolve gold in the nitro-muriatic acid, and dip some lin- en rags in the solution ; then burn them, and carefully pre- serve the ashes, which will be very black, and heavier than common. When any thing is to be gilded, it must be pre- viously well burnished ; a piece of cork is then to be dipped, first into a solution of salt in water, and afterwards into the black powder ; and the piece, after being rubbed with it, must be burnished. This powder is frequently used for gild- ing delicate articles of silver. 100. To silver Copper or Brass. Cleanse the metal with aqua fortis, by washing it lightly, and then throwing it into water ; or by scouring it with salt and tartar with a wire brush. Dissolve some silver in aqua fortis, and put pieces of copper into the solution ; this will throw down the silver in a state of a metallic powder. Take fifteen or twenty grains of this silver powder, and mix with it two drachms of tartar, the same quantity of common salt, and half a drachm of alum ; rub the articles with this com- position till they are perfectly white, then brush it off, and polish them with leather. 10.1. To silver the Dial-plates oj Clocks, Scales of Barometers, &c. Take half an ounce of silver lace, add thereto an ounce of double refined aqua fortis, put them into an earthern pot, and place them over a gentle fire till all is dissolved, which will happen in about five minutes ; then take them off, and mix it in a pint of clear water, after which, pour it into anothe r clean vessel, to free it from grit or sediment; then add 40 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. spoonful of common salt, and the acid, which has now a green tinge, will immediately let go the silver particles, which form themselves into a white curd ; pour off the acid, and mix the curd with two ounces of salt of tartar, half an ounce of whiting, and a large spoonful of salt, more or less, accord- ing as you find it for strength. Mix it well up together, and it is ready for use. Having well cleared the brass from scratches, rub it over with a piece of old hat and rotten-otone, to clear it from all grcasiness, and then rub it with salt and water with your hand : take a little of the beforementioried composition on your finger, and rub it over where the salt has touched, and it will adhere to the bra^s, and completely silver it. After which, wash it well with water, to take off what aqua fortis may remain in the composition ; when dry, rub it with clean rags, and give it one or two coats of varnish, prepared ac- cording to the directions given under the article varnishes. This silvering is not durable, but may be improved by iir.-ithig the article, and repeating the operation till the cov- ering seems sufficiently thick. 14)2. To silver Locking In order to go completely forward, you must be prepared \vith the following articles, viz. First, A sc in are marble slab, or smooth stone, well polish- ed, and ground exceedingly true, the larger the better, with ;, frame- rouinl it, or a groove cut in its edge?, to keep the su- - i iliirjus mercury from running off. Secondly, Lead weights d with cloth, to keep them from scratching the glass, one pound weight to twelve pound j each, according te> the glasj which is laid down. Thirdly, Rolls of tinfoil Fourthly, Mercury or quick-silver, with which you must bo well provided ; then proceed as follows: Cut the tinfoil a little larger than the glass every way, and lay it flat upon the stone, and with a straight piece of harel wood, about three inehe 3 long, stroke it every way, that there be no e.re.u-es or wrinkles in it, then drop a little mercury- upon it, and with a piece of cotton, wool, or hair's foot, f pre.ul it all over the foil, so that every part may be touched i\ ith the mercury. Then keeping the marble slab nearly jev- i> the hori/.on, pour on the mercury all over the foil, , it with a line paper, and lay two weights very near its lowest end or side, to keep the glass steady, while you draw the paper from between the silvered foil and the glass, which inu^t be laid upon the paper. As you draw the paper, you must take care that no air bubbles be left, for they will always appear it" left in at the first; you must likewise be sure to make the , .an as possible on the side intended to be SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 41 silvered, and have the paper also quite clean, otherwise, when you have drawn the paper from under it, dull white streaks will appear, which are very disagreeable. After the paper is drawn out, place as many weights upon the glass as you conveniently can, in order to press out the superfluous mercury, and make the foil adhere to the glass. When it has lain six or seven hours in this situation, rai^e the stone about two or three inches at its highest end, that as much of the mercury may run off as possible ; let it remain two days before you venture to take it up ; but before you take the weights off, gently brush the edges of the glass, that no mercury may adhere to them ; then take it up, and ^ turn it directly over, with its face side downward, but raise it by degrees, that the mercury may not drip off too suddenly ; for if, when taken up, it is immediately set perpendicular, air will get in between the foil and the glass at the top, as the mercury descends to the bottom ; by which means, if you be not exceedingly careful, your labour will be lost. 103. To Silver Glass Globes. Take half an ounce of clean lead, and melt it with an equal weight of pure tin ; then immediately add half an ounce of bismuth, and carefully skim off the dross ; remove the mix- ture from the fire, and before it grows cold, add five ounces of mercury, and stir the whole well together ; then put the fluid amalgam into a clean glass, and it is fit for use. When this amalgam is used for foiling or silvering, let it first be strained through a linen rag ; then gently pour some ounces thereof into the globe intended to be foiled ; the mix- ture should be poured into the globe, by means of a glass or paper funnel, reaching almost to the bottom of the globe, to prevent its splashing to the sides ; the globe should then be dexterously inclined every way, though very slowly, in order to fasten the silvering: when this is once done, let the globe rest some hours ; repeat the operation, till at length the fluid mass is spread even, and fixed over the whole internal surface ; as it may be known to be, by viewing the globe against the light ; the superfluous amalgam may then be poured out, and the outside of the globe cleared. 10 4*. To whiten Brass or Copper by boiling. Put the brass or copper into a pipkin with some white tar tar, alum, and grain tin, and boil them together. The arti- cles will soon become covered with a coating of tin, which, when well polished, will look like silver. It is in this manner that pins, and many sorts of buttons, are whitened. E 3 42 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 105. To make an enamel as white as milk. 1. To six pounds weight of the matter just described put forty-eight grains of magnesia, prepared as follows, 2. Put in an iron spoon, to the reverberating fire, the bits of magnesia, rough as it comes from the mine. When it is whitened, pour good vinegar over it, then break it small, and wash it several times with warm water. Dry, pulverise, and sift it, then preserve it in a covered pot for use. 3. This magnesia, and primary enamel matter, you put, in the above prescribed proportion, in a crucible, on a glass- melting fire, then threw the whole contents into clear water; dry it, melt it again, as before, and throw it in water again, and so on. This operation repeat three times. Being thus well purified, if you find it not quite white enough,, add a little more magnesia, and begin the same process as before. Then take it off the fire, and make it into small round cakes- Such is the method of preparing the enamel to paint with on gold, and other metals, 106. To make green enamel. 1. Melt and purge, by the glass-melting fire, and in a var- nished crown-glass pot, four pounds of the primary enamel matter. Leave it there twelve hours ; after which throw it in water, dry it, and put it again in the same fire, for the same time, to cleanse it well. 2. Grind into a very subtile powder, some of the aforesaid scones of copper, and some scories of iron. Mix the^e pow- ders together, *viz. two ounces of the former, and 48 grains only of the latter ; which, being divided into three different parcels, project, at three distinct times, on the enamel mat- ter in fusion, stirring well with an iron hook at the time of each projection, that the colour may better incorporate ; and in twelve hours afterwards you will find a very fine greem enamel. 107, To make a Hack shining enamel. Take of our primary enamel matter in powder, fouf pounds ; red tartar, four ounces ; and of our prepared mag- jiesia, in subtile powder, two, Put all this into a varnished -pipkin, so large, that all these ponders together shall not come higher than the third part of the vessel, this matter, when melted, swells very much . When in perfect f usion^ throw it into water ; take it out to dry, then put it again in the pot> and purify it as before* Do so till you find it suffi- ciently purified ; then take ths pQt off the fire, and the jnat ter out of the pot. SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 40 108. To make an enamel purple colour. Reduce into subtile powder, and mix well together, six pounds of our primary and general enamel matter; three ounces of prepared magnesia, and six of scories of copper, prepared as before mentioned. Melt and purify all this in a varnished pipkin, by placing it in a melting glass furnace. When in good fusion, throw this matter in water ; dry it, and put it again in the same pot to purify it a new by the same process. If you find your colour to your liking, take the pot off from the fire, and keep your enamel for use. 109. To make red enamel^ of a beautiful ruby hue. Put twenty ounces of the above fusible magnesia, to one pound of the crystal ine matter in good fusion. Purify the whole well, and try the colour. Note. According to the proportion of fusible magnesia you put in this composition, you raise or lower the hue of your enamel. And, if carried to the degree of rubies, it will prove bright and beautiful. 110. To jasper glass globes. Wet the inside of a glass globe with common water j then throw in some powder blue, or ultramarine, or else some of t he finest smalt, and stir well the globe, that these powders may stick every where. Then dilute some other colours with nut oil, keeping each particular colour by itself. With the downy end of a quill, put some of these colours, one after another, in the globe, touching it every way with them. Put some fibur after that in the globe, and shake it so as to make it go all over, and then the work is finished. 111. To give globes a silver colour. To four otlnces of pewter, in fusion, add two of quicksilver. Stir all well with a wooden spatula ; and when the whole is well incorporated, pour some of this compound into your globes, which must previously have been warmed before the fire. Turn them in all manner of directions, that the com- position may fix itself better and more equally in all their capacity. Chop some tinsel very fine, and throw it in the globes when the pewter begins to cool, these little laminas will stick themselves to it, and produce the finest effect ima- ginable. 112. A good method of tinning glass globes. Melt together one ounce of tin glass, and half that quanti- 4-4 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. ty of pewter and of lead. When both are thus in fusion, throw in some mercury, and the whole into a pan full of water. Pour the water off by inclination, and dry this mat- ter ; then pass it through a piece of linen and roll it ia a globe that is very dry in the inside. 113. To make transparent frames. Boil for a quarter of an hour only, nut oil, six ounces ; white wax, four ; rosin, as much ; and Venice turpentine, two. When lukewarm, lay it on with a soft brush. 114. To make lake. Take three parts of an ounce of Brasil wood ; a pint of clear water ; one drachm and a half of roch alium ; eighteen grains of salt of tartar; the bulk of two filberts of mineral crystal ; three quarters of a pound of the whitest sound, or cuttle-fish bones, rasped. Eut all together in a saucepan to boil, till reduced to one third. Strain it three times through a coarse cloth. To make a finer sort, strain it four times. Then set in the sun under cover to dry. That which dries the soonest is the finest. 1 1 5. To make a liquid lake. Pound some cochineal and allum together ; then boil them with a quantity of lemon-peels, cut very small. And when it is come to the right colour you want, pass it through a cloth. 116. A blue y very like ultramarine. Grind some indigo on porphyry with turpentine oil. Put it afterwards in a glazed pipkin, and lute it well. Let it thus lay for the space of six weeks. The longer you leave it, the more blue it will be. 117. How to make a fine flesh colour. The mere addition of a little black to the above composi- tion will make the finest colour for complexions, or flesh- colour, and may justly be deemed a ninth article in the pro- cess which is to be observed in its fabrication. 118. A good ivay to make carmine. Make a little bag, tied very close, of fine Venetian lake. Put it in a little varnished pipkin, with rain-water and cream of tartar, and boil it to a sirup. Thus you will have a fine carmine colour SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 45 119. The whole process of making ultramarine. 1. Make some of the brownest lapis red hot in a crucible, then throw it into vinegar. Repeat this three times. When calcined, pound it in a mortar, and sift it. Then grind it on porphyry, with a mixture of lintseed oil and spirit of wine, in equal quantities, and previously digested together in a ma- trass, and often shaken to prepare them for this use. When you shall have subtalized your lapis powder, then incorporate it with the following cement. 2. Lintseed oil, two ounces ; Venice turpentine, three ; mastich, half a one ; assa fatida, two ; black rosin, as much ; wax, half an ounce; yellow rosin, three. Boil all in a glazed pipkin, for quarter of an hour; then run it through a cloth into clear water. Take it out of that water ; and, taking of this, and of the grinded lapis, equal quantities, incorporate them in a glazed pan, and pour some clean warm water over, and let it rest for a quarter of an hour. Stir this water with a wooden spatula ; and in another quarter of an hour you will see the water all azured. Decant, gently, that water into another glazed pan. Pour new warm water on the grounds, and proceed as before, continuing to stir and beat it well ; then decant again this new azured water with the for- mer. Repeat doing so, till the water is no more tainted with any azurine particles. When done, set your azured waters in evaporation, and there will remain at the bottom a very fine Azure of Ultramarine, viz. four ounces of it for every pound of composition. Of the remainder you may make what is called cender blue. 120. Observations on tie above process. 1. Ultramarine might be drawn from the pastil, by work- ing it with the hands instead of pestles. But, as it fatigues a great deal more the articulations by that sort of working, than by the other, there is room to think, that by this mode of proceeding, each single operation might be attended with some imperfection ; which is the reason why the pestles are preferable. 2. Some people make their lapis red hot on bare coals, then steep it in distilled vinegar, repeating this several times till it becomes fryable. 3.- But it is much preferable to make it red hot in a cruci- ble ; because, should the fire make it split, the bits will remain in the crucible. Now it need not be wondered at if it does, particularly when calcinations are often repeated. 4. The lapis, which is of a fine blue, and striped with gold or silver, is the best to make ultramarine of. 5. The fapis is also reckoned to be of good quality, when 46 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. it preserves its fine colour, even after it has been made red- hot in blasting charcoals. 121. To make the Bistre for tie wash. 1. Grind, on marble, with child's water, some chimney- soot. Mullar it as fine as possible. When done, put it in a wide-mouthed bottle, which fill up with clear water ; and then stir and mix all well with a wooden spatula. Let the coarsest parts settle to the bottom of the vessel. Decant out the liq- uor gently into another vessel. What remains in the bottom is the coarest bistre. 2. Proceed the same with respect to the second bottle, and after having left this to settle for three or four days, instead of half an hour, decant it into a third. This gives you the finest bistre. 3. In the manipulation of all the colours which are intend- ed to serve in drawing for wash, whenever you will not have them rise thick above the surface of the paper, which would undoubtedly look very bad ; for the neatness required in a draught, forbids the use of any coarse colour. 122. The secret for a fine red for the wash. 1. Make a subtile powder with cochineal. Put it in a ves- sel, and pour rose-water over it as will exceed above it by two fingers. 2. Dilute calcined and pulverised alum, while it is quite warm, into plantain water, and mix some of the liquor in which you have dissolved the cochineal. 3. This process will give you a very fine red, much pre- ferable for the wash, to that which is made with vermilion, because this last has too much consistence, and besides tar- nishes too soon, on account of the mercury which enters in- to its composition. 123, A secret to make carmine at a small expense. Break and bruise in a bell-metal mortar, half a pound of gold colour Fernambourg Brasil. Put this to infuse with dis- tilled vinegar, in a glazed pipkin, in which boil it for the space of a quarter of an hour. Strain the liquor through a new strong cloth ; then set it again on the fire to boil. When it boils, pour on it white wine vinegar> impvepn&ted with Roman alum. Stir well with a wooden spatula, and the froth that will arise is the carmine. Skim it carefully in a glass ves- sel, and set it to dry. SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 47 1 2 4< . The proper varnish to be laid on glass after painting* Boil oil of nuts, some litharge, lead filings, and white cop- peras calcined. When done and cold, lay it all over the col- ours which you put on the glass. 125. How to paint on glass without fire. Take gum arabic and dissolve it in water with common salt, bottle and keep it. With this liquor, if you grind the colours you intend to paint with, they will fix and eat in the glass. Should you find they do not enough, increase only the dose of salt. 126. A secret to render old pictures as fine as new. Boil in a new pipkin, for the space of quarter of an hour, one quarter of a pound of gray or Bril-ash, and a little Ge- noa soap. Let it cool, to a lukewarm, and wash your picture with it, then wipe it. Pass some olive oil on it, and then wipe It off again. This will make it just as fine as new. 127. An Oil to prevent Pictures from blackening. It may serve also to make cloth to carry in the pocket ^ against wet weather. Put some nut, or Hntseed oil, in a phial, and set it in the sun to purify it. When it has deposited its dregs at the bot- tom, decani it gently into another clean phiat, and set it again in the sun as before. Continue so doing, till it drops no more faces at all. And with that oil, you make the above compo- sition. 128. A Wash to clean Pictures. Make a lye with clear water and wood ashes; in this dip a sponge, and rub the picture over, and it will cleanse it perfect- ly. The same may be done with chamber-lye only; or oth- erwise, with white wine, and it will have the same effect. 129. A very curious and simple way , of preventing fiies from sitting on pictures^ or any other furniture^ and making their dung there. Let a large bunch of leeks soak for five or six days in a pail- ful of water, and wash your picture, or any other piece of furniture, with it. The flies will never come near any thing so washed. This secret is very important and well expert enced. 4$ SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 130. To make Indigo. Put some hatis, otherwise woad, or glastum, with slacked lime, to boil together in water. There will rise a scum, which being taken off, and mixed with a little starch, makes the indigo. 131. To make a Yellow. What the luteola dyes yellow, becomes green by the woad, or glastum. Whence we may justly conclude, that green is not a simple colour, but a mixture of blue and yellow ; as the yellow itself is a compound of red and white. 132, A white for painter s> 'which may be preserved for ever. Put into a large pan three quarts of lintseed oil, with an equal quantity of brandy, and four of the best double dis* tilled vinegar; three dozen of eggs, new laid and whole; three or four pounds of mutton suet, chopped small. Cover all with a lead plate, and lute it well. Lay this pan in the cellar for three weeks, then take skilfully the white off, the*i dry it. The dose of the composition for use is six ounce? of that white to every one of bismuth. 133. Another 'white for ladles paint. To four parts of hog's lard add one of a kid. Melt them together, then wash them. Re-melt and wash them again. Then add four ounces of ammoniac salt, and as much of sulphur, in subtile powder. This white will keep a long time. 134. A good azure. Take two ounces of quicksilver; sulphur and ammoniac salt, of each one ounce. Grind all together, and put it to digest in a matrass over a slow heat. Increase the fire a little; and, when you see an azured fume arising, take the matrass off the fire. When cool, you will find in the matrass as beau- tiful an azure as the very ultramarine itself. 135. A fine azure. Make an incorporation of three ounces of verdigrease, and of an equal quantity of 'ammoniac salt, which dilute with tartar water, so as to make a thick paste of it. Put this com- position into a glass, and let it rest for a few days, and you will have a fine azure. SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 4fi> 136. A lively Isabel Colour. To make a lively Isabel colour, you must to a quantity of white, add one half of yellow, and two-thirds of red and yel* low. 137. For a pale filbert colour. 1 . Take burnt umber, a little yellow, very little white, and Still less red. 2. This is made darker, by adding a quantity of burnt um- ber, as much yellow, a little white, and as much red. 138. For the gold colour. To much yellow, join a little more red ; and this mixture will give you a very fine bright gold colour. 139. Forthefiesh colour. To imitate well the complexion, or flesh colour, you mi* a little white and yellow together, then add a little more red than yellow. 140. The straw colour. Much yellow ; very little white 5 as little red, and a great of gum. 141. A fine brown. 1. Burnt umber; much black chalk; a little black, and a little red ; will make a fine brown, when well incorporated together. 2. The same is made paler, by decreasing the quantity of black chalk, and no black at all in the above composi* tion, * 1 42. To make a fine musk colour. Take burnt umber ; very little black chalk ; little red and a little white. These ingredients well mixed will produce aa fine a musk colour as ever was. 143. To make a frangipane colour. I. This is made with a little umber; twice as miich red, and three times as much yellow. 2 The paler hue of it is obtained by adding only some whits, ind making the quantity of red equal to that of yellow, $0 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. ^144. An olive colour. To make the olive colour, take umber, not burnt ; ;i little yellow ; and the quarter part of it of red and yel- -ow. 14-5. How te make skins and gloves take these dyes. Grind the colours you have pitched upon with perfumed oil of jessamine, or orange flowers. Then range the grinded colour on a corner of the marble stone. Grind of gum-ad- ragant, an equal quantity as that of the colours, soaking it all the while with orange flower water. Then grind both the gum and the colour together, in order to incorporate them well. Put all into a pan, and pour a discretionable quantity of water over it, to dilute sufficiently your paste. Then with a brush, rub your gloves or skins over with this tinged liquor, and hang them in the air to dry. When dry, rub them with a stick. Give them again } with the same brush another similar coat of the same dye, and hang them again to dry. When dry for this second time, you may dress them, the colour is sufficiently fixed, and there is no fear of its ever coming off. 146. To varnish a chimney. Blacken it first with black and size. W T hen this coat is dry, lay another of white lead over it, diluted in mere sized wa- ter. This being dry also, have verdigrease diluted and grind- ed with oil of nuts and a coarse varnish, and pass another coat of this over the white. 147. A varnish which suits all sorts of prints and pic- tures ; stands for chim- ney branches j &c. Get a sheet of block-tin very clean, and cut it in the form, shape, and figure you chuse to make your flowers and other things. Grind what colours you propose to make use of, with clean water, and each separately, then let them dry. \Vhen you want to employ them, dilute them, each apart, with liquid varnish, and lay them on with the brush. Set the work in the open air for fear the colours should run, and when they are a little thickened arid consolidated, finish dry- ing them before a gentle fire. 162. A valuable secret to make exceeding good Crayons^ as hard as red chalk, discovered by Prince Rupert, brother to Prince Palatin. Grind on the stone some tobacco-pipe clay, with common water, so as to make a paste of it. Then take separately each colour, and grind them, when dry, on the stone, so fine as to sift them through a silk sieve. Mix, of each of the colours, with your first white paste, as much as will make it of a higher or paler hue, and embody the whole with a little common iioney and gum-arabic water. Note. You must be attentive to make crayons of Various degrees of hues in each colour, for the chiaros and oscuros, or lights and shades. Then roll each crayon between two boards very clean, and set them to dry on paper for two days in the shade. To complete their drying, lay them In the sun j and then you may use them with satisfaction. 168. A fine red water, for Miniature Painting. 1 Put in a new glazed pipkin one ounce of Fernamburg Jftrazil wood, finely rasped. Pour three pints of spring water on it, with six drachms of fine white isinglass chopped very small. Place the pot on warm ashes, for three days, during which you are to keep up the same degree of heat. 2. When the isinglass is melted, and two ounces of kerrnes in grain, one of alum, and three drachms of borax, well pound- ed, Boil this gently to the retfutf i? of oae half 3 then gtwa SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 55 the liquor through a cloth, bottle and stop it well, and set it in the sun for a week before using. Note. This water may very properly be used as a wash to give an agreeable bloom to pale faces. 164?. Directions for the mixture of Colours. 1. The pale yellow for the lights, is made with white mas* sicot. The chiaro oscuro, with the massicot and umber. The dark shade with umber alone. 2. The orange colour is made with black lead for the lights, Shade with the lake. 3. The lake is used very clear for the light?, in draperies, and thicker for the shades. 4. The purple is made with blue, white, and lake, for the lights; blue and lake only for the clear shades, and indigo and blue for the darker ones. 5. The pale blue is used for the lights, and for the clear shades a little thicker; but for the darker shades, mix the indigo and blue together. 6. The gold like yellow is made with yellow massicot for the lights ; and the clear shades with a mixture of black lead and massicot ; the darker shade .with lake, yellow ochre, and very little blaek lead ; and the darker of all, with Cologn earth and lake. 7. The green is of two sorts. The first made with massi- cot and blue, or blue and white ; and for the shade?, make the blue predominate in the mixture. The other is made with calcined green ; and French berries juice, mixed and calcined green ; and you may form their shades by additien of indigo. 8. For trees you mix green and umber together. 9. The grounds are made in the same way ; wherever there is any green, take calcined green, with French berries juice. 10. For the distances, mix green and blue together; and mountains are always made with blue. 11. The skies are likewise made with blue, but you must ,add a little yellow to them, when it comes near the moun- tains ; to make the transition between that and the blue, mix a little lake and blue together to soften it. 12. Clouds are made with purple ; if they be obscure, you must mix lake and indigo together. 13. Stones are made with white and yellow mixed togeth- er, and their shades with black. 1,65. To take off instantly a copy from a pr\nt % or a pic* ture. Make a water of soap and alum, with which wet a cloth or j lay either on a print or picture, and pass it S6 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. under the rolling-press ; then going round the other side to take it up, you will have a very fine copy of whatever you. shall have laid it upon. 166. To make the Spanish ladies rouge. Vermilion, carefully laid on a sheet of paper, from which, by means of wetting the tip of your finger with your spittle, then take it off, at will, and rub your cheeks, lips, &c. The method of making it is as follows, 1. Take good scarlet flocks and spirit of wine, or in their stead, lemon-juice. Boil the whole in an earthen pot, well glazed and well stopped, till the spirit of wine, or lemon- juice, has charged itself with all the colour of the scarlet flocks. Strain this dye through a cloth, asd wring it hard, to express well all the colour out. Boil it afterwards with a little arabic water, till the colour becomes very deep. 2. On half a pound of scarlet flocks you mu^t put four ounces of spirit of wine, and a sufficient quantity of water, to soak well the flocks. Then in the colour you extract from it, put the bulk of a filbert of gum arabic, and boil the whole in a silver porringer. When this is ready, as we said before, proceed as follows. 3. Steep some cotton in the colour, and wet some sheets of paper with it ; then let them dry in the shade. Repeat this wetting, drying of the same sheets over again, many times, till you find they are charged with rouge to your satis- faction. 167. A fine lake y made 'with shell-lac. 1. Boil and skim well, sixteen pounds of chamber-lye; then put in one pound of fine shell-lac, with 5 ounces of roch alum, in powder. Boil altogether, till you see the chamber- lye is well charged with the colour, which you may easily know, by steeping a bit of white rag in it ; then take it out again, to see whether or not the colour please you j and if it do not, let it boil longer, repeating the same trial, till you are perfectly satisfied. 2. Throw now the liquor in a flannel bag, and without suffering what runs into the pan under to settle, repour it into the bag so many times, till the liquor runs at last quite clear* and not tinged. Then with a wooden spatula, take off the lake, which is in form of curd, form it into small cakes, or balls, and dry them in a shade on new tiles ; then keep them for use. 168. An Azure as fine as> and 'which looks similar to Ultramarine. Grind well tocether into nowder three ounces of SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. M niac salt, and six of verdigrease. Then wet it in continuing to grind it with oil of tartar, till you have made it pretty fluid. Put this into a glass matrass, and bury it five days in hot dung. At the end of that term you will find your composition turn- ed into a fine azure. 169. A very fine method for Marbling Paper. The paper must first be prepared, by wetting the paper with a sponge dipped in roch-alum water, then letting it dry. When the sheets have been thus prepared, have a pan full of xvater, and with a large and long-handled painting-brush, take of one colour, and shake it in the water ; take of another and do the same, and so on till you have taken of all the colours you intend to have on your paper. Each of these colours fall to the bottom of the water ; but take with a similar brush as the first, a mixture of bullock's gall, and of dissolution of soap in water, then shake on the water, and all over the surface, and you will soon see all the colours rising up again and swimming on the top of the water each separately as you first put them. Then lay the sheet of paper on it, give it a turn on one side or the other, as you like, and take it up again ; wash and set it to dry, then burnish it, and it is done. 1 70. To gild on Glasses, Earthen > or CJiina Wares. Take a glass, or china cup, wet it, and lay your gold where and how you like, then let it dry. Dissolve some borax in water, and of this liquor lay a coat on your gold. Set it in the fire till your glass powder in melting makes a varnish on the gilded parts, which will then appear very beautiful. 171. To write 9 or paint) in sifoer> especially with a pencil. Pound well, in a bell-metal mortar, some tin glass ; then grind, and dilute it, OR porphyry, with common water. Let it settle, and throw off the water, which will be black and dirty. Reiterate this lotion so many times, till the water re- mains clear. Then dilute it in gum-water, and either write or paint with ft. It will appear very handsome, and no ways in- ferior to the finest virgin silver. 172. To Silver the Cqnvex side of Meniscus Glasses fir Mirrors. Take an earthen plate, on which pour some prepared plas- ter of Paris, mixed with water, of a proper coasistence ; then immediately, before it grows too stiff, lay the meniscus with its convex side downward, in the middle of the plate, and press it until it lies quite close to the plaster ; in which situ- SS SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADED ation let it remain until the plaster becomes quite dry ; after which, work a groove with your finger, round the outside of the meniscus, in order to let the superfluous mercury rest upon it ; tlwn cut the tinfoil to a proper size, and press it with the meniscus into the plaster mould, in order to make it lie close ; after which, cover it with the mercury, and, with- out a paper (as directed for silvering plain mirrors,) slide it over the silvered foil ; then place a weight on it, and let it stand two or three days, raising it by degrees, that the mer- cury may drip off gradually. After this method common window glass, &c. may be silvered. 173. Tinning of Iron* When iron plates are to be tinned, they are first scoured, nd then put into what is called a pickle, which is oil of vit- riol diluted with water ; this dissolves the rust or oxyd that was left after scouring, and renders the surface perfectly clean. They are then again washed and scoured. They are now dipped into a vessel full of melted tin, the surface of which is covered with fat or oil, to defend it from the action of the air. By this means, the iron coming into contact with the melted tin in a perfectly metallic state, it comes out com- pletely coated. When a small quantity of iron only is to be tinned, it is heated, and the tin rubbed on with a piece of cloth, or some tow, having first sprinkled the iron with some powdered re- sin, the use of which is to reduce the tin that may be oxyda- ted. Any inflammable substance, as oil for instance, will have in some degree the same effect, which is owing to their attraction for oxygen. 174. Tinning of Copper. Sheets of copper may be tinned in the same manner as iron. Copper boilers, saucepans, and other kitchen utensils, are tin- ned after they are made. They are first scoured, then made hot, and the tin rubbed on as before with resin. Nothing ought to be used for this purpose but pure grain tin ; but lead is frequently mixed with the tin, both to adulterate its quality, and make it lay on more easily ; but it is a very per- nicious practice, and ought to be severely reprobated. 175. SOLDERING. Soldering is the art of joining two pieces of metal together by heating them, with a thin piece of plate or metal interpos- ed between them. Thus tin is a solder for lead : brass.* gcldj or siiver, are solders for iron, &c. SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. ^ 176. To make Silver Solder. Melt fine silver two parts, brass one part ; do not keep them long in fusion, lest the brass fly off in fumes. 177. A Solder for Gold. Melt copper one part, fine silver one part, and gold two parts; add a little borax when it is just melted, then pour it out immediately. 178, The method of Soldering Gold or Silver. After the solder is cast into an ingot, it would be more ready for use if you were to draw it into small wire, or flat it between two rollers ; after that cut it into little bits, then join your work together with fine soft, iron wire, and with a camel's- hair pencil dipt in borax finely powdered, and well moistened with water, touch the joint intended to be solder- ed ; placing a little solder upon the joint, apply it upon a large piece of charcoal, and, with a blow-pipe and lamp, blow upon it through the flame until it melts the solder, and it is done. 179. Apply resin when ycu use this solder 180. A Solder for Tin. Take four part ; of pewter, one of tin, and one of bismuth ; melt them together, and run them into narraw thin lengths. 181. A Solder for Iron. Nothing here is necessary, but good tough hrass, with bo- rax applied, mixed with water to the con >isience of paste. 182. MOULDING AND CASTING. The art of taking casts or impressions from pieces of sculp- ture, medals, &c. is of very great importance in the fine arts. In order to procure a copy or cast from any figure, bust, medal, &c. it is necessary to obtain a mould, by pressing upon the thing to be moulded or copied, some substance which, when soft, is capable of being forced into all the cavi- ties or hollows of the sculpture. When this mould is dry and hard, some substance is poured into it, which' will fill all to SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. the cavities of the mould, and represent the form of the original from which the mould was taken. The particular mariner of moulding depends upon the form of the subject to be worked upon. When there are no pro- jecting parts but such as form a right or a greater angle with the principal surface of the body, nothing more is required than to cov^r it over with the substance of which the mould is to be fopfee-d, taking care to press it well into all the cav- ities of ther "original, and to take it off clean, and without bending. The substances used for moulding are various, according to the nature and situation of the sculpture. If it may be -laid horizontally, and will bear to be oiled without injury, plaster of Paris may be advantageously employed, which may be poured over it to a convenient thickness, after oiling it, to prevent the plaster from sticking. A composition of bees wax, resin, and pitch, may also be used, which will be a very- desirable mould, if many casts are to be taken from it. But if the situation of the sculpture be perpendicular, so that no- thing can be poured upon it, then clay, or some similar sub- stance, must be used. The best kind of clay for this purpose is that used by the sculptors for making their models with ; it must be worked to a due consistence, and having spread it out to a size sufficient to cover all the surface, it must be sprinkled over with whiting, to prevent it from adhering to the original. Bees wax and dough, .or the crumbs of new bread, may also be used for moulding some small subjects. "When there are undercuttings in the bas relief, they must be first filled up before it can be moulded, otherwise the mould could not be got off. When the casts are taken after- wards, these places must be worked out with a proper tool. When the model, or original subject, is of a round form> or projects so much that it cannot be moulded in this man- ner, the mould must be divided into several parts ; and it is frequently necessary to cast several parts separately, and af- terwards to join them together. In this case, the plaster must be tempered with water to such a consistence, that it may be worked like soft paste, and must be laid on with some con venient instrument, compressing it so as to make it adapt it- self to all parts of the surface. When the model is so covered to a convenient thickness, the whole must be left at rest till the plaster is set and firm, so as to bear dividing without fall- ing to pieces, or being liable to be put out of its form by any slight violence ; and it must then be divided into pieces, in order to its being taken off from the model, by cutting it with a knife with a very thin blade ; and being divided, must be cautiously taken off, and kept till dry : but it must be obser- ved, before the separation of the parts be made, to notch them across the joints,, or lines of division, at proper distance^ that SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 61 they may with ease and certainty be properly put together again. The art of properly dividing the moulds, in order to make them separate from the model, requires more dexterity and skill than any other thing in the art of casting, and does not admit of rules for the most advantageous conduct of it in every case. Where the subject is of a round or spheroidal form, it is best to divide the mould into three parts, which will then easily come off from the model ; and the same will hold good of a cylinder, or any regular curve figure. The mould being thus formed, and dry, and the parts put together, it must be first oiled, and placed in such a position that the hollow may lie upwards, and then filled with plaster mixed with water ; and when the cast is perfectly set and dry, it must be taken out of the mould, and repaired when necessary, which finishes the operation. In larger masses, where there would otherwise be a great thickness of the plaster, a core may be put within the mould, in order to produce a hollow in the cast, which both saves the expence of the plaster, and renders the cast lighter. In the same manner, figures, busts, &c. may be cast of lead, or any other metal in the moulds of plaster or clay ; taking care, however, that the moulds be perfectly dry ; for should there be any moisture, the sudden heat of the metal would convert it into vapour, which would produce an ex- plosion by its expansion, and blow the melted metal about, 183. Isinglass Glue. Isinglass glue is made by dissolving beaten isinglass in water by boiling, and, having strained it through a course linen cloth, evaporating it again to such a consistence, that being cold, the glue will be perfectly hard and dry. This cement is improved by dissolving the isinglass in any proof spirit by heat, or by adding to it, when dissolved in water, an equal quantity of spirits of wine. It is still further improved by adding to the isinglass, pre- vious to its solution in spirits, one third of its weight of gum ammoniac. Expose the mixture to a boiling heat, until the isinglass and gum are dissolved, and until a drop of the com- position becomes stiff instant.ly a? it cools. It will at any fu- ture time melt with a degree of heat little exceeding that of the human body, and, in consequence of so soon becoming stiff on cooling, forms a very valuable cement for many pur- poses, particularly for the very nice and delicate one of fix- ing on the antennae, legs, c. of insects in cabinets of natural history. The easy melting of this cement is no objection to its use, in cases where the articles themselves may afterwards be exposed to moderate heat ; for it owes thh property only to the presence of the spirit, which evaporates soon after it G 62 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. has been applied. When used to join broken glass or china? the pieces to be joined should be previously warmed. Im- mersion in hot water will give them a sufficient degree of heat. Wipe off the water before applying the cement, which may be laid on with a pencil ; then press the pieces together, binding them with a string or bit of soft wire, if necessary. _ This isinglass glue is far preferable to common glue for nice purposes, being much stronger, and less liable to be softened either by heat or moisture. 184. A good Glue for Sign- Boards, or any thing that must stand the weather, Melt common glue with water to a proper consistence ; then add .one eighth of boiled linseed oil, dropping it into the glue gently, and stirring it all the time. A very strong glue is made by adding some powdered chalk to common glue. Another that will resist water is made by adding half a pound of common glue to two quarts of skimmed milk. 185. Lapland Glue. The bows of the Laplanders are composed of two pieces of wood glued together ; one of them of birch, which is flex- ible, and the other of fir of the marshes, which is stiff, in or- der that the bow when bent may not break, and that when unbent it may not bend. When these two pieces of wood are bent, all the points of contact endeavour to disunite them- selves, and to prevent this, the Laplanders employ the fol- lowing cement : they take the skinns of the largest perches,* and having dried them, moisten them in cold water until they are so soft that they may be freed from the scales, which they throw away. They then put four or five of these skins into a rein-deer's bladder, or they wrap them up in the soft bark of the birch tree, in such a manner, that water cannot touch them, and place them thus covered into a pot of boiling wa- ter, with a stone above them to keep them at the bottom. When they have boiled about an hour, they take them from the bladder or bark, and they are then found to be soft and viscous. In this state they employ them for glueing togeth- er the two pieces of their bows, which they strongly compress and tie up till the glue is well dried. These pieces never afterwards separate. 186. Turkey Cement, for joining Metals, Glass, ferV. Dissolve five or six bits of mastich, as large as peas, in at * It is probable that eel-skins would answer the same purpose. SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. w much spirits of wine as will suffice to render it liquid; in another vessel dissolve as much isinglass (which has been pre- viously soaked in water till it is swollen and soft,) in brandy or rum, as will make two ounces by measure, of strong glue, and add two small bits of gum galbanum, or ammoniacum,, which must be rubbed or ground till they are dissolved ; then mix the whole with a sufficient heat ; keep it in a phial stopt, and when it is to be used set it in hot water. 187. Another Cement that will stand the action of boiling water and jteam. Take two ounces of sal ammoniac, one ounce f flowers of sulphur, and sixteen ounces of cast iron filings or borings* Mix all well together by rubbing them in a mortar, and keep the powder dry. When the cement is wanted for use, take one part of the above powder, and twenty parts of clean iron borings or fil- ings, and blend them intimately by grinding them in a mor- tar. Wet the compound with water, and when brought to a convenient consistence, apply it to the joints with a wood- en or blunt iron spatula. By a play of affinities, which those who are at all acquaint- ed with chemistry will be at no loss to comprehend, a degree of action and re-action takes place among the ingredients, and between them and the iron surfaces, which at last causes the whole to unite as one mass. In fact, after a time, the mix- ture and the surfaces of the flanches become a species of py- rites (holding a very large proportion of iron,) all the parts of which cohere strongly together. 188. Blood Cement. A cement often used by copper-smiths to lay over the riv. cts and edges of the sheets of copper in large boilers, to serve as an additional security to the joinings, and to secure cocks, &c. from leaking, is made by mixing pounded quick-lime with ox's blood. It must be applied fresh made, as it soon gets hard. We believe if the properties of this cement were duly in- vestigated, it would be found useful for many purposes to which it has never yet been applied. It is extremely cheap, arid very durable. 189. Japanese Cement, or Rice Glue. This elegant cement is made by mixing rice flour intimate. ly with cold water, and then gently boiling it. It is beauti- fully white, and dries almost transparent. Papers pasted to- gelher by msans of this cement will sooner separate in their 64 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. own substance than at the joining, which makes it extremely- useful in the preparation of curious paper articles, as tea tray?, ladies' dressing boxes, and other articles which require layers of paper to be cemented together. It is in every respect preferable to common paste made with wheat flour, for al- most every purpose to which that article is usually applied. It answers well in particular, for pasting into books the cop- ies of writings taken off by copying machines on unsized silver paper. With this composition, made with a small quantity of wa- ter, that it may have a consistence similar to plastic clay, models, busts, statue?, basso relievos, and the like, may be formed* When dry, the articles made of it are susceptible of a high polish ; they are also very durable. The Japanese make quadrille fish of this substance, which so nearly resemble those made of mother of pearl, that the officers of our East Indiamen are often imposed upon. 190. A method of Silvering Ivory. Take a slip of ivory, immerse it in a weak solution of ni- trate of silver, and let it remain in it till the ivory has acquir- ed a bright yellow colour ; then take it out of the solution, and immerse it in a tumbler of pure water, and expose it in the water, to the rays of a very bright sun. After the ivory has been exposed to the sun's rays for about two or three hours, it becomes black ; but on rubbing it a little, the black surface will become changed into one of silver. Although this coating of silver is extremely thin, yet if the ivory be well impregnated with the nitrate of silver, the solution will pen- etrate to a considerable depth ; and as fast as the silver wears off from the surface of the ivory, the nitrate below being ex- posed to the light, is converted into silver, and the ivory retains its metallic appearance. 191. Hew method of making Cast Steel. This method has been lately invented in France. It is as follows : Take small pieces of iron, and place them in a cru- cible, with a mixture of chalk or lime-stone, and the earth of Hessian crucibles. Six parts of chalk and six of this earth must be employed for twenty parts of the iron. The matters rue to be so disposed, that, after fusion, the iron must be completely covered by them, to prevent it from coming into contact with the external air. The mixture is then to be gradually heated, and at last exposed to a heat capable of melting iron. If the fire be well kept up, an hour will gen- erally be sufficient to convert two pounds of iron into ex- cellent and exceedingly hard steel, capable of being forged ; an advantage not possessed by steel made in the usual manner. SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES, 65 192. To petrify wood, &c. Take equal quantities of gem salt, roch-alnm, white vine- gar, calx, and pebble powder. Mix all these ingredients to* gether, and there will happen an ebullition. If, after it is over, throw in this liquor any porous matter, and leave it there soaking for three, four, or five days, they will postively turn into petrifactions. 193. To imitate tortoise shell with horn. Take one ounce of gold litharge, and half an ounce of quick lime. Grind altogether, and mix it to the consistence of pap, with a sufficient quantity of chamber-lye. Put of this on the horn, and three or four hours afterwards it will be perfectly marked. 1 94. A prepartion for the tortoise shell. Make a mixture as above, of quick lime, orpine, pearl ashes, and aquafortis. Mixed well together, and put your horn or tortoiseshell soaking in it. 195. To dye bones and mould them in all manner af shapes* 1 . Boil together twelve pounds of quick lime, and one of calcined roch-alum, in water to the reduction of one third. Bddd two more pounds of quick lime, and boil it again till it can carry an egg without its sinking to the bottom. Let it cool, then filter it. 2. Take twelve pounds of that liquor ; half a pound of rasped Brasil wood, and four ounces of scarlet flocks * boil all about five minutes on a slow fire, then decant the clearest part of it, and put it by. Put on the faces of Brasii wood and scarlet about four pounds of the first water ; boil it the same time as the other, and decant the clearest part of it on the other. Repeat this operation, till the new added water draws no more colour from the faces. 3. Now rasp any quantity of bones, and boil them in clear lime water. Then take them out, put them in a matrass and over them some of the tinged water, so as to soak them. Place the matrass on a mild sand bath and evaporate the liquor. Add some more liquor, and evaporate it again, con- tinuing to add and evaporate the tinged liquor, till the rasped bones are all turned into a soft paste. 4. Take this paste, and mould if as you like, in^tin or other moulds, to make whatever thing or figure you want. Set it in the mould for a day or two, till it acquired the shape you 66 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. wish it ; to harden it, boil it in a water of alum and salt-petre first, afterwards, in oil of nut. These figures look incon - testibly to be made of bones, without conceiving how they can be made such, out of that matter, and one solid piece. 196. To dye tones in black. Take six ounces of litharge, and the same quantity of quick lime. Boil all in common water, along with the bones. Keep stirring, till the water begins to boil. Then take it out, and never cease stirring till the water is cold again ; by that time the bones will be dyed black. 197. To soften bones. Take equal parts of Roman vitriol, and common salt. Distil the spirits out by the root. If in the water you get from the distillation, you put the bones a soaking, they will become as soft as wax. 198. To dye bones in green. Pound well together in a quart of strong vinegar three ounces of verdigrease, as much of brass filings, and a hand- ful of rue. When done, put all in a glass vessel along with the bones you want to dye, and stop it well. Carry this into a cold cellar, leave it for a fortnight, the bones will be dyed green. 199. A salt for "hardening soft bones. Take equal quantities of ummoriiac, common decrepiated and gem salts, as well as ofplumeum, saccarinum, roch and shell alum?. Pulverise and mix all together, then put it in a glass vessel well stopped, which bury in hot horse dung, that the matter should melt into water. Congeal it on warm embers. Then make it return into a delequium again, by means of the horse dung, as before. When thus liquified for the second time, it is fit for use. Keep it to harden and consolidate any thing, smear it over with it. 200. To dye bones and ivory of a fine red. 1. Boil scarlet flocks in clear water assisted with pearl ashes, to draw the colour the better ; then clarify it with roch-aJum, and strain this tincture through a piece of linnen. 2. To dye afterwards any bones or ivory in red, you must rub them first with aquaforti^ and them immediately with this tincture. SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 67 201. To make a paste in imitation of black marble. Dissolve two ounces of spalt on a gentle fire, in a glazed pipkin. When in perfect fusion, add a third part of harable, ready melted, stir all together. When both are well mixed and united, take the pipkin off the fire, and throw the con- tents, boiling hot, into a mould, of a fine polish in the in- side. When cold and dry, take the piece from off the mould, and you will find that nothing can imitate so well black mar- ble as this deceptive composition. 202. To dye marble^ or alabaster > blue or purple. 1. Pound together in a marble mortar, parsnips and pur- ple lilies, with a sufficient quantity of white wine vinegar.- Proportion the quantity of parsnips and lilies, to each other, according to the hue you wish to give the liquor. If you cannot get one of these two juices, make use of that you can get ; and to every pound of liquor, mixed and prepared, put an ounce of alum. 2. In this dye put your marble or albaster, and boil them, supposing they are not too inconsiderable to go into the ves- sel with the liquor. And if they be, you must heat one part of it as much as you possibly can, then dye it with the liquor boiling hot, and thus proceed from place to place, tirl you have dyed it all over. 203. Of the choice and composition of met ah. Any metal whatever may be used for the casting of figures, though the general composition runs as follows. 1. For the fine bronze figures, the alloy is half brass, half copper. The Egyptians who are said to be the inventors of that art, used to employ two thirds of brass against one of copper. 2. Brass is made with copper and calamine. One hundred weight of calamine renders one hundred per cent. Calamine is a stone from which a yellow dye is drawn. It is to be found in France and at Leige. 3. Good copper ought to be beaten, not molten, when in- tended for statues. You must guard also against using put- ty, when in alloy with lead. 4. Copper may be forged either hot or cold. But brass breaks when cold, and suffers the hammer only when hot. 5. There is a sort of metalic stone called zinc, which comes from Egypt ; it renders the copper of a much finer yellow than the calamine ; but as it is both dearer and scarcer, they are not so ready to use it. 6. As for the composition for making of bells, it is twenty 63 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. pounds weight of pewter for each hundred of copper. And the artillery pieces take but ten pounds only of pewter to one hundred of the other. This last composition is not good for the casting of figures, as it is both too hard and too brittle. 2 04*. A good shining ink. 1. Put four quarts of warm water in a glazed pipkin. Add eight ounces of turpentine oil, and one pound of gall-nuts bruised in a mortar. Let the whole infuse thus for a week, then boil it gently, till with a pen you may draw a stroke yellow and shiny with it. Strain it through a strong cloth. Set it on a blasting fire, and as soon as it boils, add seven ounces of green vitriol to it, keep stiring it with a stick till it is perfectly dissolved. Let this rest for two days, without disturbing it. There will be a skim on the top, which must be thrown off. Decant next the clearest part into another vessel, which you set on a gentle fire, to evaporate about two fingers of the li- quor, then let it rest four or five days, and it will be fit for use. 2. Rain water, or that in which walnuts have been infused are both very good for making of ink. s. With white wine, or old beer, you may likewise make very good shining ink. 4. A carp's gall is very proper to mix among it. 205. To 'write en grease, and make the ink run on it. 1. Cut a bullock's gall open into a pan, and put a hand- ful of salt and about a quarter of a pint of vinegar to it, which you stir and mix well. Thus you may keep the gall for twelve months, without its corrupting. 2. When you are writing, and you find your paper or parchment greasy, put a drop of that gall among your ink in the ink-horn, and you will find no more difficulty to make your pen mark. 206. An ink- stone, in 'which ink stands may be and with which you may write without ink. Take gum arabic, fourteen ounces ; lamp black, thirteen ; and burnt willow wood coals, three. Pound the gum into an impalpable powder, and dissolve it into a pint of common- water. This done knead your abovementioned powders with part of this gum water, so as to make a paste or dough of them, as it were for bread. With this dough form ink-stands, of the shape and form you like best, and in these ink-stands, while the composition is Still soft, you may stamp a few smalljholes. SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 6S 2. This done, dry these stands in an ardent furnace for four hours, or in the shade, a safficient time. When dry brush them over with your aforementioned gum-water, till they appear as black and shiny as jet, and as hard as marble. 3. When you want to use them, put a few drops of water in one of the holes, and put a pen to soak in it at the same time. If the water be but just put in, the ink will not be quite so black ; but if it have remained a little while, it will be as black as the blackest of any ink. 207. To 'write with common clear water. Take gall nut powder, and vitriol calcined in the sun to whiteness, of each four ounces, and sandarak, one and a half. All being pulverised and mixed, rub your paper with that powder ; then steeping your pen in any common water, and writing with it> it will appear black like any other ink. 208. A good inky both for drawing and writing. 1. Bruise with a hammer one pound of gall-nuts, and put it to infuse for a fortnight in the sun, in two quarts of clear water, stirring it now and then. Strain this infusion through a sieve or cloth in a glazed pipkin. 2. In another vessel, put two ounces of gum-arabic ; and half of the above infusion. In the other half which remains to dissolve two ounces and a half of German green vitriol, and let it infuse, for four-and-twenty hours. Join afterwards, both infusions together ; and a week afterwards or there- bouts, the ink will be very good, and fit for use. 209. To make very good ink without gall-nuts ; which will be equally good to wash drawings and plans > and strike very neat lines with the pen. In half a pound of honey put one yolk of an egg, and beat it a good while with a flat stick. Then asperse the mat- ter over with three drachms of gum-irabic in subtile powder. Let this stay about three days, during which, beat it often with a stick of walirat-tree wood. 2. Next to this, put to it such a quantity of lamp-black as will make it in consistence of a dough, which you make in cakes, and dry it in the air, to render it portable. 3. When you want to use it, dilute it with water or with a lye made either of vine wood ashes, or walnut-tree, or oak, or even peach stones. 210. An invisible ink. i. Dissolve one ounce of ammoniac salt in a glass tumbler TO SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. of water, and write, When you wish to make the writing appear, hold the paper to the fire, and it will become black. 2. The same may be done with the juice of an onion. 211. To make good India imk. Burn some lamp-black in a crucible till the fume which arises in doing it, has entirely subsided ; grind it next on porphyry, or marble, with a pretty strong water of gum- tragacanth. Add an equal quantity of indigo burnt, and grinded in the same manner. Then mix them both together on the stone, and grind them for two hours. Gather up the composition, in a flat square of the height and thickness you are willing to give to your sticks. Cut these with a knife to your intended size, and put them, if you chuse, into an iron mould ; and lest the paste should stick to them, rub the in- side of the mould with lamp or ivory black, or with peach stone dust, which you burn in a crucible stifled with a brick to stop it well* 212. Re Jink. Dissolve half an ounce of gum-arabic in three ounces of rose water. Then with this water, dilute cinnabar, vermilion, or minium. Ink of any colour may be made in the same manner, by- substituting only a proper colouring ingredient to the afore- mentioned cinnabar, &c. 213. A green ink. Grind together verdigrease, saffron, rue juice, then dilute this paste in the abovementioned gum rose water. To make an ink which appears and disappears alternately. Write with an infusion of gall nuts filtered through brown paper, and the writing will not be visible. When you want to make it appear, steep a little sponge, or bit of cotton, in- to an infusion of vitriol, and pass it over the written place of the paper ; the writing will immediately appear. To rub it off, and make the paper look all white again, do the same with spirit of vitriol, and all the writing will be gone. To make it visible again, rub the paper over with oil of tartar ; and thus continue for ever. \ 2 1 5. The invisible method of conveying secrets. nfuse for twenty-four hours > half an ounce of gold liih- SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRACES. 71 an-ge in half a pint of distilled white wine vinegar, and shake the bottle often during the first twelve hours of the infusion. When all is well settled, decant the clear part into another phial, which you must stop carefully, and throw the fasces away. If you have any secret to communicate to a fr^nd, write it with this liquor, and it will be no more visible than if you wrote it with clear pump water. 216. An ink which will gs off in six days. Write with willow-wood cinders, pulterised and diluted with common water. 217. Another which you may rvb off when you please. Dilute gunpowder in common water, and write with it on a piece of parchment ; then when you mant to efface it, take your handkerchief, and rub it off. 218. Powder ink. Take equal parts of black rosin, burnt peach, or apricot stones, vitriol and gall nuts, and two of gum-arabic. Put the whole in powder, or in a cake, as you like best. 219. A gold colon r irik y without gold. Put half a drachm of saffron, one of auripigment, and one a fortnight in hot horse dung. At the end of that term, add she-goats, 5 or 6 or jack gall, in a glass bottle ; and set for a gill of gum-water ; and place it again for the same length of time in horse dung. Then it is fit for use. 220. To write in silver without silver. Mix so well one ounce of the finest pewter and two of quicksilver together, that both become quite fluid. Then grind it on porphyry with gum-water, and write with it. All i lie writing will look then as if done with silver. 221. A blue ink. Dilute half a pound of indigo with some flake white and sugar in a sufficient quantity of gum-water. The same may be done with ultramarine, and gum-water. 222. A yellow ink. Dilute in gum-water some saffron, or French berries, or gamboge, and you will have a yellow ink. The same may 72 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. be done with any other colouring ingredient, to obtain an ink of the colour one likes to have. 223. A green ink y which may keep two years. Put a pint of water on the fire in a varnished pipkin ; and when it is ready to boil, throw in two ounces of verdigrease pounded, and boil it gently on a slow fire for the space of half an hour, stirring it often during that time with a wooden spatula. Then add one ounce of white tartar, well pulveris- ed, and boil it one quarter of an hour. Strain two or three times through a cloth, then set it before the fire to evaporate part of it, in order to make it more shiny. But observe that the more it boils, the more it loses of its green colour, and approaches to the blue. 224. A way of writing which will not be visible^ unless you hold the paper in the sun y or to the light of a candle. Take flake white, or any other whitening, and dilute it in a water impregnated with gum-adragant. If you write with this liquor, the writing will not be perceivable, unless you apply the paper to the sun, or the light of a candle. The reason why it is so, is, that the rays of light wi'l not find the same facility to pass through the letters formed with this li- quor, as through the other parts of the paper. 225. A secret to revive old writings y which are almost defaced. Boil gall-nuts into wine ; then steeping a sponge into that liquor, and passing it on the lines of the old writing, all the letters which were almost undecypherable will appear as fresh as newly done. 226. A common ink. 1. Bruise six ounces of gall-nuts and as much gum-arabic, and nine of green vitriol* Put them afterwards in three quarts, at least, of river, spring, or rain water. Stir the composition three or four times a day. And after seven days infusion, strain all through a cloth, your ink is made. 2. This ground, as well as that above, will admit of fresh water being put to it, with an addition of vitriol also. 227. 75? whiten and silver Copper Medals. l. Take filings from Cornwall pewter, and make a bed of them at the bottom of a pipkin. On this bed lay one of SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 73 your medals, taking care, however, they should not touch each other. Make another bed of filings over these medals, and one of medals again on these filings. Continue this al- ternate stratification of medals and filings, till you have laid all the medals you wanted to whiten, 2. When this is done, fill up your pan with water, and put on it a powder composed of roch-alum and tartar from Mont- pellicr, well grinded and mixed together. Boil the whole till the whitening of the medals is complete. N. B. They must have previously been cleansed with soft sand, or strong lye; to purge them from any grease. 228. A water to gild iron. In three pounds of river-water, boil roch-alum, one ounce, Roman vitriol, as much, verdigrease, half an ounce, gem salt, three, and orpine, one. Then add tartar half an ounce, and the same quantity of common salt. Boil it again with this addition. Now heat your iron, and when warm, rub it over with this stuff quite hot, then dry it by the fire, and burnish. 229. To whiten exteriorly copper statues. Take silver crystals, ammoniac, gem, common and alkali Salts, of each of all these two drachm:;. Make all into a pa^te with common water. Lay your figures over with it, and set them on red-hot charcoals till they smoak no more. 230. To gild silver in 'water gilding , without the assist- ance oj- mercury. 1. Take first the finest gold, forge it weakish, then cut it in bits and neal it, on an iron plate, o; in a crucible. 2. Have next a glass matrass, put your gold in, and to every drachm of gold, put half a pound of ammoniac *alt, and two ounces of good aquafortis. Cover the matrass with a. sheet of paper, turned conicaily by one of its corners upon one of the long sides, so as to form a funnel with the small- est, and not quite close, but terminated in a smal: orifice, to give a free passage to the fumes of the aquafortis. Set this matrass on a very slow fire, that the gold may have time to dissolve gently and gradually, and -shake of; en the matr:i:~, to help the dissolution. Be very careful not to make the fire too strong ; for the gold would infallibly sublime, and watte itself all into vapours. 3. When the gold is entirely dissolved, pour this liquor in- to a glass, or china bowl ; wet some old coaree linen rags on them, which set to drain on small sticks on another bowl, do- ll ?4 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. ing the same with what drains from them till you have used all your liquor; then dry them before a gentle fire. 4. When dry, lay them on a marble stone, and eet them on fire. And as soon as they are consumed, grind them Into a fine powder, which put afterwards into a crucible on a little fire. When this powder is lighted like sparkles of fire, put it on the marble again, and stir it with an iron rod till you see no more fire. Grind it then again as before, as much as you possibly can, and it is fit for gilding any sort of silver work you please. 231. A water which gilds copper and bronze. A Secret very useful for watch and pin-makers. Dissolve equal parts of green vitriol and ammoniac salt in good double distilled vinegar; then vaporate the vinegar, and put it in the retort to distil. Jf in the product of the distil- lation you steep your metal after being polished and made hot, it will come out perfectly well gilt. 5232. To gild steel or iron, after being well polished. Take seven ounces of orpine,: terra merita, one and a half; succotrine aloes, four and a half; gamboge, three and a half. Put all into powder, and put it in a retort, with FO much -of pickle water as will cover these powders by two fingers. Stir well, and mix all together, let it infuse four and twenty hours and distil. With the liquor which comes from the distilla- tion, keep by for use, rub the steel, iron, or copper, and set it to dry in the shade. 233. A composition to lay on lead, tin, or any other met- al, in order to holdfast the, ready gilt leaves of pewter which are applied on it ; useful for gilding on high steeples, domes, ^V. 1. Melt together, on a slow fire, black pitch, two pounds; oil of turpentine, four ounces ; and a little roi>in. When the whole is dissolved and mixed well into a kind of varnish, lay a coat of it on your work. 2. Upon steeples, the common method of gilding cannot, on account of the wind, be practised ; have only the exact measures and dimensions of the place intended to be gilt, then, at homeland at leisure, cut to them some fine leaves of pewter, and gild them as usual. When done, you have no more to -do but to carry up these pewter leaves, rolled in a basket, and having burnished the place on which they are to t>e applied with the above composition, lay the gilt pewttr Jeaves on it, and they will stand fast enough. SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 75 23k To clean and whiten silv&r. 1. Rasp four ounces of dry white soap in a dish. Pour a pint of warm water on it. In another dish put a pennyworth of wine lye dried in cakes', and the same quantity of the same water. In a third dish put also another pennyworth of pearl ashes, with another similar quantity, of the same water. t 2. Then, with a hair brush steeped first in the wine lye, then in the pearl ash r and lastly in the soap liquors, rub your silver plate, and wash it afterwards with warm water, and wipe it with a dty cloth kept on a horse before the tire for that purpose. 235. The preparation of gold in shell. Take ammoniac salt, and gold leaves, equal quantities.-* Bruise this in a mortar for two or three hours ; and towards the end add a discretionable quantity of honey. 236. To bronze in gold colour. Rub the figure first with aquafortis^ in order to cleanse and ungrease it well. Then grind, on porphyry, into a subtile powder, and mix with lintseed oil, equal quantities of terra inertia and gold litharge. With this composition paint the figure over. 237. Varnish to be laid on gilding and silvering. Grind verdigrease, on marble, with common water, in which you have infused saffron for eight hours. 238. A water 1o gild Iron 'with. 1. Put in a glass bottle, with a pint of river water, one ounce of white copperas, and as much of white alum ; two drachms of verdigrease, and the same quantity of common salt. Boil all together to the reduction of one half. Then stop the bottle well, for fear the contents should lose their strength. 2. To gild the iron with it, make it red hot in the fire, and plunge it in this liquor. 239. How to get the gold or silver cut of gilt plates, 1. Mix together one ounce of aquafortis** and one of spring water, with half an ounce of common, and one drachm of ammoniac salts. Put all on the fire, and boil it ; then put in the plate to soak from which YOU want to get the gold 6V silver out. A little while after? take your plate out, and scrape it over the liquors ;o SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 2. The gold will remain suspended in this regal-water ; ind to make a separation of them, pour in it double the quantity of common water; or again, throw a halfpenny in it, and boil it, and all the gold will fix itself to it. 240. To gild paper on tie edge. 1. Beat the white of an egg in three times its quantity of common water,,and beat it till it is all come into a froth. Let it settle into water again, and lay a coat of it on the edge of your paper. 2. Next lay another of bol armenian and ammoniac salt, grinded with soap-suds. Then put the gold, and let it dry, before burnishing it. 24*1. To gild 'without gold. Open a hen's egg by one end, and get all out from the in- side. Refill it again with chalidonia's juice and mercury ; then stop it well with mastich, and put it under a hen which just begins to set. When the time of hatching is come, the composition will be done, and fit for gilding, 242. To gild en calf and sheepskin. Wet the leather with whites of eggs. When dry, rub it with your hand, and a little olive oil j then put the gold leaf, and apply the hot iron on it. Whatever the hot iron shall not have touched will go off by brushing. 243. Gold and silver in shell. 1. Take saltpetre, gum arabic, and gold leaves, wash them all together in common water. The gold will sink to the bottom, whence pouring the water off you may then put in the shell. 2. The silver is worked in the same manner, except the saltpetre, instead of which you put white salt, 244. To dye any metal) or stone, gold colour y without gold. Grind together in a subtile powder ammoniac salt, white vitriol, saltpetre, and verdigrease. Cover the metal, or stone you want to dye, all over with this powder. Set it thus cov- ered on the fire, and let it be there a full hour ; then taking it wit, plunge it in chamber-lye 245. To iv hi 'i en copper. Take one ounce of zinc ? one drachm and a third part of it of sublimed mercury. Grind all into a powder, then rubi SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 77 2 16. To whiten iron like silver. Mix ammoniac salt powder, and quick lime, in cold water. Then make your iron red hot several times, and each time, plunge it in that dissolution. It will turn as white as silver. The Art of DYING WOODS, BONES, &c. 2 4? 7. The composition for red. Chop Brasil wood, very fine, and boil it in common water, till it has acquired an agreeable colour, then strain it through a cloth. 2. Give your wood first a coat of yellow, made of saffron, diluted in water. Then the wood being thus previously tinged with a pale yellow, and dried, give afterwards several coats of the Brazil wood water, till the hue pleases you. 3. When the last coat is dry, burnish it with the burnisher, and by another coat of drying varnish with the palm of your hand, and you will have a red oranged very agreeable. 4. If you want a deeper red, or rather a darker, boil the JBrasii wood in water impregnated with a dissolution of alum, or quick lime. 2 1-8. To dye 'wood in a purplish colour. Soak Dutch turnol in water; add a tincture of-Brasil wood made in lime water ; and you will obtain a purple, with which you rnay dye your wood, and then burnish and varnish as usual. 2*9. A blue purple. Take that sort of German turnsol which painters use with size. Dissolve it in water and strain it through a linen cloth. Give a coat of this dye to the wood ; and if the hue be too strong, give it another of a paler dye, by adding clear water to a part of the other. When dry, burnish it as usual* 250. A blue for wood. Slack lime in water, and decant it out of the ground. In three pints of this water dissolve four ounces of turnsol, and boii it one hour. Then give several coats of it to -your wood. 251. A green* Grind Spanish verdigrease into a subtile powder with strong vinegar. Add and mix well with this; two ounces of H 2 73 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. green vitriol. Boil all of it a quarter of an hour in two quarts of water, and put your wood soaking till the colour be to your liking. For the rest proceed as above. 252. 4 yellow. Dissolve turnsol in two quarts of water. Then grind some indigo on marble with that water, and set it in a vessel on the fire with weak size to dilute it. When done, give a coat of this dye to your wood with a brush, and when dry, polish it \viih ;hc burnisher. 2 5 & Another finer yellow. Four ounces of French berries, boiled for about a quarter of an hour in a quart of water, with about the bulk of a fil- bert of roch-alum. Then soak the wood in it. 254. To dye wood a fine polished 'white. Take the finest English white chalk, and grind it in subtile powder on marble, then let it dry, and set it in a pipkin on the fire with a weak sized water, having great care not to let it turn brown. When it is tolerably hot, give first a coat of size to your wood, and let it dry : then give one or two coats of the aforesaid white over it. These being dry also, polish with the rushes, and burnish with the burnisher. 25 &* To dye in polished black. Grind lamp black on marble with gum water. Put it next in a pipkin , and give a coat of this, with a brush to your \vcod ; then polish it when dry. 256. To imitate ebony. Infuse gall-nuts in vinegar, wherein you have soaked rusty nails ; then rub your wood with this, let it dry, polish and burnish. 257. A fne Hack easily made. Take good ink, put it in a stone pan, new and well nealed, then set it in the sun to exsiccate it into a cake. When dry, take and scrape it out from the pan with a knife, and grind it into an impalpable powder on marble. This powder diluted with varnish, will produce a fine black. 258. To dye wood silver fashion. Pound tip glass, in a mortar, and reduce it into powder, SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 79 Add water to it by degrees, till it come into a liquid like liq- uor for painting Put it in a clean pipkin, with size, and set it on the fire to warm. Brush your wood with this liquor, and when it is dry, burnish it. 259. To dye in gold, silver, or copper. Pound very fine, in a mortar, some roch-chrystal with clear water, set it to warm in a new pipkin with a little size, and give a coat of it on your wood with a brush. When dry, rub a piece of gold, silver, or copper, on the wood thus pre- pared, and it will assume the colour of such of these metals as you rub it with. After this is done, burnish it as usual. 260. To give nut } or pear tree, what undulation you like. Slack some quick lime in chamber lye. Then with a brush dipped in it form your undulation on the wood according to your fancy. And when dry, rub it well with a rind of pork. 261. To imitate the root of nut-tree. Give seven or eight coats of size to your wood, till it re. mains shiny. Then before your size is quite dry, strike here and there a confused quantity of spots with bistre grinded with common water. When dry, varnish it with the Chinese varnish. 262. To give a fine colour to the cherry-tree wood. Take one ounce of orchanetta ; cut it in two or three bit?, and put it to soak for forty-eight hours in three ounces of good oil of olive/ Then with this oil anoint your cherry- tree wood after it is worked and shaped as you intend it ; it will give a fine lustre. 263. To marble wood. 1. Give it a coat of black, diluted in varnish. Repeat it one, two, three or as maay times as you think proper ; then polish it as usual. 2. Dilute some white varnish made with white gum, or shell-lac, and white sandarac. Lay this white on the black ground, tracing with it what oddities you like. When dry, give a light rub with rushes, then wipe it, and give a last coat of fine transparent white varnish, in order to preserve the brightness. Let this dry at leisure, then polish it. 264. To imitate white marble. Break and calcine the finest white marble you can fbd j so SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. grind it as fine as you can, and dilute it With size. Lay two coats of this on your wood, which, when dry, polish and varnish as before directed. 265. To imitate black marble. Burn fome lamp black in a shovel, red hot, then grind it with brandy. For the bigness of a egg of black, put the size of a pea of lead in drops, as much of tallow, and the same quantity of soap. Grind and mix the e together, then dilute it with a very weak size water. Give four coats of thi-, and when dry, polish as usual. 266. To take the impression of any seal. 1. Take half a pound of mercury; the same quantity o chrystalline vitriol ; as much verdigrease. Pulverise well these two last ingredient-, and put them along with the first in a new iron pan, with smith's forge water. Stir all well with a wooden spatula, till the mercury is perfectly incorporated with the powder?. Then wash that paste with cold water, and change it till it remains quite clear as when you put it in. Put the lump in the air, it will harden. 2. When you want to take* the impression of a seal with it, place it over the fire on an iron plate. When there appears on it some drops like pearls, then it is hot enough ; take it off and knead it in your hands with your finger?, it will be- come pliable like wax ; srnoothen one side of it, and apply it on the seal, pressing it to make it take the impression. When done, lift it up, and set it in the air, where it will come again as hard as metal, and will serve you to seal the same letter as the original seal, without probability of discovering it, should even the real one be laid on it* 267. To get Birds with ivhite feathers. Make a mixture of semper vwum-majus's juice, and olive oil, and rub with it the eggs on which the hen is setting. All the birds which shall come from those eggs will be white feath- ered, 268. To soften Ivory. In three ounces of spirit of nitre, and fifteen of white wine, or even mere sprin-g water, mixed together, put your ivory a soaking. And in three or four days, it will be so soft as to obey under the fingers. 269. To dye Ivory thus softened. p~ in snrrit r\f winp> cnr>Vi frlrnr vnn wr SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 81 your ivory with. And when the spirit of wine shall be suffici- ently tinged with the colour you have put in, plunge your ivory in it, and leave it there till it is sufficiently penetrated with it, and dyed inwardly. Then give that ivory what form you will. 2. To harden it afterwards, wrap it in a sheet of white paper, and cover it with decrepitated common salt, and the driest you can make it ; in which situation leave it twenty-four hours. 270. To whiten Ivory , which has been spoiled. Take roch alum, dissolve it in water, in a sufficient quantity, to render the water all milky. Boil this liquor, and soak your ivory in it for one hour, then rub it with a hair brush. When done, wrap it in a wet piece of linen to dry it leisurely and gradually, otherwise it would certainly split. 23? whiten Green Ivory ; and whiten again that which has turned of a Brown Yellow. 1. Slack some lime in water, put your ivory in that water, after decanted from the ground, and boil it till it looks white. 2. To polish, set it on the turner's wheel, and after having worked it, take rushes and pumice-stone subtile powder with water, rub it till it looks perfectly smooth. Next to that, heat at, by turning it against a piece of linen, or sheepskin leather, and when hot, rub it over with a little whitening diluted in oil of olive, continuing turning as before ; then with a little dry whitening, and apiece of soft white rag. When this is performed the ivory will look as white as snow. 272. The preparation of the ink which serves to write inscriptions, epitaphs, sV. on stones, marbles, &c. This ink is made with nothing else but a mixture of lint- sced oil black, and black pitch dissolved over a small fire.- They call this also stucco. 273. An ink which may be made instantly. Take gum-arabic, and vitriol, of each one ounce : bruised gall-nuts one and a half. Put all in ten ounces of white wine, or vinegar ; and, no longer than one hour after, you ma^ use it. 274. A portable ink, without either gall-nut or vitriol. 1. Take one pound of honey, and two yolks of raw eggs. Dilute and mix them all well with the honey. Add three drachms of gumarabk in subtile powder. Stir well the 82 SECRETS INT ARTS AND TRADES. whole together during three day?, and several times a day, with a fig-tree stick flattened at one of the ends. Then, to that first composition add again as much of that sort of lamp- black which is used in printers ink, as may be requ'rH r.o thicken the whole into a lump, which you let dry, and keep in that state. 2. "When you want to use it, take a bit of it and dilute it in any common water, or lye, and it will write like any other ink. 275. Another portable ink, in powder. This i-3 made with equal quantities of gall-nuts and vitriol; a little gum-arabic, and still less of sandarak of the antients. You pound r grind each drug well, and mix the powders together, which are to be very fine. Lay some of this com- pound powder on your paper, and spread it well with your fingers. Then dipping your pen into clear water, you may write on this prepared paper, and it will appear as black as any other ink, 276. Another portable powder y to make ink instantly. Take and reduce into a subtile powder ten ounces of gall- nuts, three of Roman vitriol, otherwise green copperas ; vrith two ounces of roch-alum and as much of gum-arabic. Now when you want to make ink, put a little of this mixture into a glass of white wine, and it will instantly blacken, and be fit for use. 277. Of the use of sugar candy in ink. Sugar-candy has the admirable virtue of restoring bad ink into good. It blackens it, renders it shiny, and makes it run properly. Therefore it is most advisable to pr.t some pow- der of white sugar candy into the bottle or ink-horn. 278. A sort of black ink fit for painting figures ) and to 'write upon staffs, and linen y as 'well as on paper. Bruise on the stone- one ounce- of gall-nuts, and put it in a pmt of trong white wine vinegar on the fire, with two oun- ce of iron filing*. Evaporate away about one half of the liquor in boiling it gently, strain the remainder, and keep it for use. It \vould not belaiproper to add a little gum-arabic to the above composition ; however, it may as well be let alone. SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. ss 279. To prevent ink from freezing in 'winter. If instead of water, you make use of brandy with the Fame ingredients which enter into the composition of any ink, that ink never will freeze. You may also put some into the ink already made otherwise, and it will assist a good deal In preventing the frost from acting upoB it. 280. To make Canton's Phosphorus. Take some oyster shells ; calcine them, by keeping them In a good fire for about an hour. Select out of the calcined shells the purest and whitest parts, and pound and sift them. To three parts of this lime, add one of flowers of sulphur,; mix them well together, and put them well pressed into a crucible. Place it in a good fire, where it must be kept red hot for an hour at least ; it may then be taken out to cool. When it is cold, break the mass to pieces, and select out of it the brightest part, which will shine in the dark. 281. To male a Phosphoric Fire Bottle. Take a very small phial, and put into it a bit of phospho- rus as large as a pea, and fill up the bottle with lime. Fix an iron vessel, as a shovel, for instance, with common sand 5 and put it over the fire. Set the phial in this sand, having loosely stopped it with a cork. Stir about the ingredients with a wire, and mix them together, taking care that the phosphorus does not catch fire by too great an access of an\ Keep the bottle in the sand till the phosphorus is thoroughly incorporated with the lime, when it will be of a reddiah yellow. This bottle is extremely convenient for procuring an in- stantaneous light in the dark. For this purpose, nothing more is necessary than to uncork the bottle, and to introduce a brim tone match, stirring it about a little^ by which it will catch fire and light. The boitle must be always kept carefully corked, and opened as seldom a3 possible. A more durable kind may be made by uniting together one part of sulphur with eight of phosphorus, When this is used, a match is introduced into it, and then rubbed upon a bit of cork. 282, Changing Iron apparently into Copper. Dissolve some blue vitriol (sulphrate of copper) in watery ar.cl dip into the solution a piece of bright iron or steel ; in a few seconds it may be taken cut, when it will be apparent 8* SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. !y turned to copper. This is a deception ; the iron is not changed into copper ; it is only encrusted over with that metal, as may be easily seen by removing the copper by a file, The iron having a stronger attraction for sulphuric acid than copper, it takes the acid from the latter, which is consequent- ly precipitated. This process is used for obtaining the cop- per from waters near mines that contain a great quantity of that metal. Iron plates are put into them, which become ia- crusted with copper, which is scraped off. 283. Artificial Fire-Works. Artificial fire-works are of two kinds those made of gun- powder, nitre, and other inflammable substances and filings of the rnetab, camphor, &c. ; and those produced by hydro- gen or inflamible air. Those made with gun-powder are well known, and are called rockets, fire- wheels, tourbillons, &c. Of these, the most usual are rockets. They are made by ramming into strong cylindrical paper cases put into wooden moulds, like small hollow columns, powdered gunpowder, or the ingredients of which it is composed, viz. saltpetre, sul- phur, and charcoal, very dry. If you would represent a fiery rain falling from the rocket, mix among your charge a composition of powdered glass, fil- ings of iron, and saw-du-t : this shower is called the .peacock's tail, on account of the various colours that appear in it. Camphor mixed with the charge, produces white or pale ftre ; resin a reddish colour, sulphur a blue, sal ammoniac a green, antimony a reddl>h yellow, ivory shavings a silvery white 9 pitch a deep or dark coloured fire, and steel tilings, beautiful corrugations and sparks. Sticks are fastened to the rockets, by which they are pro- jected into the air, after they have been lighted; the charge burning with great m tensity at one end, acts upon the air, which, in its turn, re-acts upon the rocket,, and causes it to ascend, on the same principle a; a boat i.s put off by a man ift it, who pushes against the shore with a boat-hook. 284?. To lay Mezzotints Prints upon Glass. Take what mezzatiiRo prints you please ; cut off the mar- gin, and lay it flat in a di Ji of clear hot water ; let it remain on the surface till it cink>. When you take it out, be careful not to break it, and press it be;wixt cle^n cloth, or paper, so that no -water may appear on the surface, but the prints .be quite damp : then lay it, face uppermost, on a flat table ; have ready a plate of pure crown g?a s, free from all spots or scratches - r lay some Venice turpentine al! over one side of it SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES, 85 with a soft brush, and hold it to the fire a little, to make it run quite equal and thin ; then let it fail gently on the print. Press it down, that the turpentine may stick to the print; and also press the print with your fingers, from the middle to the edges of the glass, so that no blisters may remain. Wet your print now with a -oit cloth, and rub it gently with your finger, and the paper wi ; l peej off, leaving only the impression upon the glass. When it is dry, wet it ever with oil of tur pentirie till It is transparent, and set it by to dry, when it will be fit for painting. The colours used for painting in this manner, are the usual oil colours, and there is nothing in the process particular. 285. Method of distinguishing Iron from Steel. Drop a little weak aqua fortis on the metal ; let it remaia for a few minute.?, and then wash it off with water. Jf it is steel, the spot will be -black ; but if iron, the spot will btf whitish grey. 286. To procure Animalcule for the Microscope. The surface of infused liquors is generally covered with a thin pellicle, which is easily broken, but acquires thickness by standing.; the greatest number of animalcules are generally to be found in this superficial film. To make an infusion of pepper. Cover the bottom of an open jar, about half an inch thick, with common black pep- per bruised ; pour as much soft water in the vessel as will rise about an inch above the pepper. The pepper and water are then to be well shaken together ; after which they must not be stirred, but be left exposed to the air for a tew days, whca a thin pellicle will be formed on the surface of the water, containing millions of animalcule. To procure the eels in pa$te> boil a little flour and water till it 'becomes of a moderate consistence ; expose it to the air in an open vessel, and beat it together from time to time, to pre vent the surface from growing hard or mouldy : after a few would prevent the oxy* dation of the remaining imperfect metals. To remedy this, such vessels are employed as are capable of imbibing and ab .sovbing in their pores the melted littiarge, and thus remove it put of the way. Or, for large quantities, vessels are so con- structed, that the toed litharge, besides :being soaked in, may dso drain off through a, channel made in th.e corner of the vessel. has shewn, that, for this purpose, vessels made SECRETS 1ST A!iTS AND TRADES. 8? of lixiviated wod or bone a-hes are mo>t proper. These vessels are called cupels, and this process is called cupcllation. The cupels are flat and shallow. The furnace ought to be vaulted, that the he-it may be reverberated upon the surface of the metal during the whole time of the operation. ^ Upon this surface a crust or dark coloured pellicle is continually forming. In the instant when all the imperfect metal is de.~ iroyed, and consequently the scorification ceases, the surface of the perfect metal is seen, and appears clean and Hfitliaht. This forms a kind of figuration, or corruscation, called lightning. By this mark, the metal is known to be refined. Purification, of gold 'by antimony. When gold contains only a small quantity of alloy, it may be separated from them by melting it in a crucible that will hold twice its quantity at least, and throwing upon it, whilst in fusion, twice its weight of crude antimony (sulphuret of antimony). The crucible is then to be covered, and the whole i.s to be kept in a melting state for some minutes ; arid when the surface sparkle?, it il quickly to be poured into an inverted cone, which has been previously heated and greased. By striking the cone on the ground, the metal will coaie out when cold. The compact' ;rn.-ifi; consists of two substinces A the upper part is the su!- prur oftbe crude 'antimony, upited with the impure a-iloy ; owcr part i~ the p-o.d, united to ?ome of the regulu } :y, pn)portionahl' N to the quantities of metals which :-een separated from the gold, which are now united with the sulphur of the antimony. This regains of gold may &e vjp.-irated from the regular of antimony by simple exposure to less heat than will melt the gold, because antimony is vol- atile in such a heat, .and is then dissipated. If the gold is not sufficiently purified by this first process (which is often the t'a-'e>) it mubt be repeated a second, and even a third time. When a part is dissipated, more heat is required to keep the g old -in fusion; therefore tht i fire must be increased towards the end of the operation. The purification i; completed by means of a little nitre thrown into the crucible, which effect- wally calcines the remaining regulus of antimony. Sometime , after these operations, the gold is found to be deprived of much of its usual ductility ; this however is easily restored to it, by fusing it with nitre and boras:. The first part of this process is founded on. a property of sulphur, by which it h incapable of uniting with gold/ and is strongly disposed to unite with a>l other metallic substance-, excepting platina and zinc ; and also upon the property of sulphur, that it has le*3 aflinity with regulus of antimony than with any metallic sub- stance with which it cau unite. Hence, when gold, alloyed silver, copper, iron, lead, c. is fused together with sul- antimony, these, latter metals unite with the guU B8 SECRETS IK ARTS AND TRADES. phur of the antimony, while the reguline part, disengaged from them by its sulphur, unites with the gold. The sulphur of the antimony, though it unites with the ba~ er metals, does not destroy them, but forms with them a sco-- Ha, from which they may be separated by treatment as an ore. Parting. When the quantity of silver united to the gold is consider- &b)e 5 they may be separated by other processes. Nitric acid, rnuriafic acid, and sulphur, which cannot dissolve gold, at- tack silver very easily ; and therefore these three agents fur-- :nL-h methods of separating silver from gold, which operation 'is called parting. Parting by nitric acid is the most convenient, and therefore inost used, and is even almost the only one employed by gold-- smiths and coiners. Wherefore it Is called simply, parting. That made with muriatic acid is oniy made by cementation,-, nnd is known by the name of concentrated parting. Lastly, parting by sulphur is made by fusion, and is therefore called dry parting. Parting go!d from silver by nitric acid or aqua forth. Al- though partir/g by nitric acid be easy, it cannot succeed, or be very exact, unless we attend to some essential circumstan- ces. The gold and silver must be in a proper proportion ; for if the gold be in too great a quantity, the silver would be covered and guarded by it from the action of the acid ; there- fore, when assayers do not know the proportion of gold to River in the mas?, they rub the mass upon a tcucb-stone (which is usually composed of black basa^te?, though black pottery will do very well,) so as to leave a mark upon it ;: they then make similar marks with the proof-needles (which rive needles composed of gold and silver ai.oyed together in graduated proportion?,) and by comparing the colour of the several marks, they discover the probable scale of admixture. If the trial shews, that in any given mass the silver is not to' the gold as three to one, this mass is improper for the ope- ration of parting by aqua furtis. In this ca-:e, the quantity of silver necessary to make any alloy of that proportion, must be added. This operation 1.3 tailed quartation y because it re- duces the gold to a fourth of the whole mass. No inconve- Kience arises from too great quantity of silver, except a waste of aqua fortis. The nitric acid or aqua fortis employed, must be very pure, and especially free from mixture of sulphuric and muriatic acids. Its purity must therefore be ascertained ; and if this be found not sufficient, the acid must be purified by nitrate of silver. If the purity of t|je nitric acid were not attended to, a quan- tity of silver proportionable to these two foreign acids, would SECRETS IN' ARTS/kND TRADES. 8 5> be separated during the solution ; and this portion of silver - be laid a stratum of cement, composed of four parts of bricks powdered and sifted, one part of green copperas (sulphate of iron) calcined' to redness, and one part of common salt, about the thickness of a ringer in depth. Upon this stratum a layer of plates of the metal is to be placed, and then another stra- tum of cement, and so on till the crucible is filled. It is now to be placed in a furnace, or oven (after a top has been luted on the crucible,) and exposed for twenty-four hours, till it is gradually made red hot, but by- no means to be melted. The fire is now left to go out, and the metal is permitted to cool, that it may be separated from the cement, and boiled repeat- edly in large quantities of pure water. This gold is after- wards to be tried on a touch- stone ; and if it is not sufficient- ly purified, the process must be performed a second time. By the above method^ we see how powerfully silver is dissol- ved by marine acid, when it is in a state of subtile vapour, which is disengaged from the common salt of the cement. In-- stead of common salt, nitre may be used, as tire nitrous acid readily dissolves silver ; but the mixture of common salt and nitre together is highly injudicious, because the joint acids are ab!e to dissolve some of the gold with the silver; Whatever silver has been separated, will now remain in the cement ; but it may be freed from this by lead, in the method described in cupellation. Parting gold from silixr in the dry way. This is also called- parting bf fusion, and is performed by means of sulphury which has the property of uniting easily with silver, while it- does not attack gold. This dry parting is troublesome, and even expensive, and ought not to be undertaken but when the silver far exceeds the gold, because salphur will not separate It so easily as aqua fortis, and will therefore- require a further application to cupellation arid solution. 289. How to renew old writings almost defaced. We ordered, in article 225, p. 72, to boil ga!l-nuts in wine ; but we must add here that it is far preferable to infuse them only twenty-four hours in it, then put all in a retort and distil. The liquor which comes from it being passed on the paper or parchment, will revive the defaced parts of the wri- tings.- 290. To write in gold letter s> on iron or steel. 1. Pound some gold marcasites in a mortar ; put it to in- fuse twenty-four hcrurs in vinegar, and boil it gently over the ftre in a glased pipkin, till the vinegar is almost vanished SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 9f &way, which will take you nearly a whole day's time to 1 bpiK Then take the composition off from the fire, and after having left it to cool and dry a little more in the shade, put it in a retort, and distil. 2. With this liquor, write on iron and steel ; the letters will appear black at first : but if, when dry, you rub over them with a piece of linen, they will turn gold colour. 291. An ink 'which writes like silver, without silver in it* 1. Amalgamate equal parts of pewter and quick silver, in the same manner as goldsmiths do ; grind well that amalga mation on- the stone. 2. If you dilute of this powder in gum-arabic water, and write with it, your letters will appear like silver. 2. To write on silver in black which will never go off, Take burnt lead, and pulverise it. Incorporate it next with sulphur and vinegar, to the consistence of a painting colour, and write with it on any silver plate. Let it dry, fchen present it to the fire so as to heat a little the work, and ail is done. 293. To change red wine into white, and white into red, If you want to make red your white wine, throw into the cask a bag of biack vine-wood ashes 5 and to whiten the red wine, you must put a bag of white vine-wood ashes. Forty days after, take out the bag, shake the cask,-and let it settle again ; then you will see the effect. 2#4<. To prevent wine from fasting, otherwise tasting of the cask, and to give it both a taste and flavour quite' agreeabh* Stick a lemon with cloves as thick as it can hold ; hang it by the bung-hole in a bag over the wine in the cask for three or four days, and stop it very carefully for fear of its turning dead, if it should get air. 295. To make a sweet wine of a very agreeable flavour^ and besides rery wholesome. Gather the grapes, and expose them for three whole days in the sun. On the fourth day at noon, put them under the press, and receive the first drop which runs of itself before pressing. When this virgin drop shall have boiled, or fer- fecated> put to every fifty quarts of it one ounce of Floren- SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. tine orrfce in subtile powder* A few days after take it oui- c ear from its lye, and then bottle it. 296. To give wine a most agreeable jla you r , Take a pailful of mout^ which boil and evaporate to the consistence of honey. Theft mix with it an ounce of Floren- tine orrice, cut in small bit?, and one drachm of cosius. Put ail into a bag,' and let it down in the cask by the bung-hole, after having previously dn*wn out a. sufficient quantity of v.ine to prevent the hag fjom coming *t itv This bag beins thus suspended by a string, which' vml' hang out of the bung hole, stop it well 'and there will drop from the bag into the wine a liquor which wilt give it a most agreeable taste. 297. H0w to find out wittier or not there be water mixtd in a cask of wine* Throw in the cask one wild pear or applo. If either of these fruits swim, it is a proof there is no water in the wine ; for if there be any, it \vi!i ; stfnk; 298. To separate water from wine. Put into the ca*k a wick of cotton, which should soak in lie wine by one end, and come out of the cask at the bung hole by the other ; and every drop of water which may har ren to be mixed with the winej will still out by that wick or filter. You may apin put some of this wine into a cup made of ivy wood, and then the water will perspire through the pores of the cup, and the wine remain. 29 9 . To restore a wins. Put in the ca?k one pound of Paris plaister. Then make apiece of steel red hot in the fire; and by means of a wire xed to one of its end*, introduce it by the bunghole into the wine. Repeat this operation for five or -six-days running, as many times each day. Then, final'y, throw into the wine a stick of brimstone tied in a bag. which you take off two days after ; and the wine will be perfectly well restored. SCO. Te correct a lad taste and sourness in wine. Put in a bag a root of wild horse radish cut in bits. Let it down in the wine, and leave it thete two days ; take this out, and put another, repeating the same till the wine, is per- fectly restored- SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 93 501. To cure those who are too much addicted to drink- ing wine. Put in a sufficient quantity of wine, three or four large teels, which leave there till quite dead. Give that wine to drink to the persons you want to reform, and they will be so Biuch disgusted of wine, that though they formerly made much use of it, C.ey will now have quite an aversion to it. 502. To prevent one jrom getting intoxicated with drink- ' Take white cabbages, ad four pomegranate juices, two ounces of each, with one of vinegar. Boil all together for some time, to the consistence of a syrup. Take one ounce of this before you are going to drink, and drink afterwards as much as you p leave. 303. A method of making people drunk , without endan- gering their health. Infuse some aloe wood, which comes from India, in a glass of wine, and give it to drink. The person who drinks it will soon give signs of his intoxication .- 304. To recover a person from intoxication. Make such a person drink a glass of vinegar, or seme cab- bage juice, otherwise give him some honey. You may like* wLe meet with success, by giving the patient a glass of wine quite warm to drink, or a dish of strong coffee, without milk or sugar, adding to it a large teaspoon full of salt. 305. To prevent the breath from smelling of wine. C hew a root of iris troghtida, and no one can discover by your breath whether you have been drinking wine or not, 506. To preserve good wine to the last. Take a pint of the best spirit of wine, and put in it the bulk of your two fists of the second peel of the alder tree, which is green. After it has infused three days strain the liquor through a cloth, and pour it into a hogshead of wine. That wine will keep good for ten years, if you want it. 307. To make good wine vinegar in a short time. Throw some Taxus wood, or yew-treee, in any wine, ? it will not be long before it turns into vinegar. 94 SECRETS IN' ARTS AND TRADES. .308. To m&ke very good and strong vinegar ivith the nvors t of tut ties. Grind into subtile powder five pounds of crude tartar. 'Pour on it one pound of oil of vitriol. Wrap up the who'e in a bag, tie it and hang it by the bung-hole, in a ca-k of bad. and totally spoiled wine. Move and &tir now and then that bag in the wine, and it will turn into very * jod vinegar. 309. To turn wine into vinegar in less than three houn\ Put in the wine a red beet, and it will be quite sour and true vinegar, in less than three hours. 310. To restore such a wine to its first taste. Take off the red beet, and in its stead put a cabbage root into that wine, and it will return to its primary taste, in ihie same space of time. 511. An excellent preparation of vinegar. Take white cinnamon, long pepper, and cyprus, of each ii ounce; round pepper, half an ounce, and two nutmegs. Pulverise each drug separately, and put them in so many dis- tinct bags. Put them in six different and separate quarts of The be-t vinegar, and boil them two or three minuter. 2. Then boil separately six quarts of good wine. r;. Season a cask, which is done by pouring a quart of the best vinegar into it, with which you rinse it, Then-pour in your boiled wine and vinegars, and fill ha'f way the cask, with ihe worst and most spoiled wine. Stop the cask, and keep it till the vinegar is done. Then draw from it, and refill the ca-k with the same quantity of bad wine, as you take oft' vinegar. 312. To render vinegra alkali. Saturate any quantity of vinegar with salt of tartar. 313. To make in one four, good rore vinegar. Put a drachm of hare's marrow in a pint of wine, and yo will see the consequence. 314. Another method to make suck vinegar in an instant. 1. Take common rose?, and unripe blackberries, which grow in hedges, of each four ounces, and of barberry fruits one. Dry them all in the shade, and reduce them into sub- tile powder* SECRETS IN ATiTS AND TRADES. 9 2, Mi* two drachms of this powder into a glass of white or red wine. Then let it settle to the bottom, and strain it through a cloth. It will be a very line vinegar. 315. To operate the same in one hour's time y on a larger quantity of ivine. 1. Take the best rye-flour, which dilute in the strongest vinegar, and make a thin round cake with it. Bake it quite clry in the oven ; then pound it into a very fine powder, with which and vinegar, make again another cake as before, and hake it like the first. Reiterate this operation thrte or four limes. 2. If you hang the last made cake in a cask of wine quite hot, you will turn the whole into vinegar in less than an hour* 316. The receipt of tht vinegar, called the Grand Con- stable's Vinegar. Take one pound of damask raisins, and cure them of their stones. Put these rai.uns in a glazed jar, with two quarts of good rose vinegar. Let all infuse for one night over hot ashes, then boil it the next morning four or five minutes only. Take it off tbe fire and let it cool, strain it through a cloth, and bottle it to keep for use, afterwards cork the bottle. 17. A secret to increase the strength and sharpness of the vinegar. il two quarts of good vinegar to the evaporation of one ; then put it in a vessel, and set it in the sun for a week. Now if you mix thi^ vinegar among : ix times as large a quantity of bad vinegar in a small cask, it will not only mend it, but make it very strong and agreeable. &18. The secret for making good vinegar ', given by avitfr egar-man at Paris. 1. Pound coarsely, or rather brui?e only, one ounce of long pepper, as much in ginger and the ?ame' quantity of pyrethra. Put these in a pan over the fire with six quarts of ine. Heat this only to whiteness, then put it in a small isk, and set it in the sun, or over a baker's oven, or any other r arm place. 2. Now and then add new wine in your cask, after having viously heated it as before, and Jet that quantity be no ignore than two or three quarts at a time, till the cask is quite fall. If you add a few quarts of real vinegar, it will be the *6 SECRETS IN ARTS AND T v ft** stronger. Before casking the wine, let it rest in the pan m in which it has boiled for two or three days. A glazed ear- then pan is preferable to a copper one for boiling the wine in ; for during the three days infusion, the copper might commu- nicate a dangerous quality of verdigrease to the vinegar. When you put vinegar to meliorate this composition, instead of wine, you must take care to heat it over the fire, but not so much as the wine. Let the cask be well rinsed and per- fectly clean, before putting the vinegar in. .3. The wild blackberries which grow in hedges are very good to make vinegar, but they must be used while red ; then put them in the wine, heat this to whiteness, and proceed in the same manner as you do with pyretbra, ginger, and long pepper The dose of blackberries is not detrmined ; you may take any discretionabie quantity of them, and the vinegar which results from these is very good. 319. To make vinegar with water* Put thirty or forty pounds of wild pears in a large tub, where you leave them for three days to ferment, 'then pour some water over them, and repeat this every day for a month. At the end of which it will make a very good vinegar. 320. To make good vinegar imth spoiled wine. Put a large kettle fall oi spoiled wine on the fire ; boi* and skim it. When wasted of a third put it in a cask f wherein there is some very good vinegar. Add a few hand- fuls of chervil over it in the cask, and stop the vessel per- fectly clo^e. You will have very good vinegar in a very short time. 32 1. A dry portable vinegar ', or the vinalgre en poudre. Wash well half a pound of white tartar with warm water, then dry it, and pulverise it as fine as possible. Soak that powder, with good sharp vinegar, and dry it before the fire, or in the sun. Resoak it again as before with vinegar, and dry as above, repeating this operation a dozen times. By these means you shall have a very good and sharp powder, which turns water itself instantly into vinegar. It is very convenient to carry in the pocket, especially when travelling, 322. To make a rossolis which may serve as a founds tion to other liquors. Put three quarts of brandy, and one of water in a glazed earthen pot. Place this pot on a charcoal fire, adding a crust of foread and one ounce of anniseed, and cover it till it boils SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 97 f Then uncover it and let it boil five minutes,and put in a pound of sugar, or more if you chuse. Now beat the white of an egg with a little of your liquor, take the pot off the fire, and throw in the white of an egg. Let this thus rest for three days. 323. To make Raspberry, Strawberry, Cherry, or other such waters. 1. Take the ripest raspberries, strain them through a linen cloth to express all the juice out of them. Put this in a glass bottle uncorcked, and set it in the sun, in a stove, or before the fire till cleared down. Then decant it gentfy into another bot- tle, without disturbing the faces which are at the bottom. 2. To half a pint of this juice, put a quart of common water, and a quarter of a pound of sugar. Beat all together, by pouring backwards and forwards, from one vessel into an- other, strain it through a linen cloth, and set it to cool in a pail of ice. It is a fine cooling draught in the summer. 3. Strawberries, cherries, &c. are done in the same manner. 324. Lemonade water at a cheap rate. Dissolve half a pound of sugar in a quart of water ; ra^p over it the yellow part of one, two, or three lemons, as you like, and mix a few drops of essential oil of sulphur in the liquor. Then cut three or four slices of lemon in the bowl, when you put the liquor in it. 325. Apricot water. Take a dozen of apricots, very ripe. Peel and stone them. Boil a quart of water, then take it off from the fire and throw- in your apricots. Half an hour after put in a quarter of a pound of lump sugar, which being dissolved, strain all through a cloth, and put it to cool in ice as the others. 326. To make exceeding good Lemonade. On a quart of water put the juice of three lemons, or two only if they be very juicy. Ardd seven or eight zests of them be ides, with one quarter of a pound of sugar. When the su- gar is dissolved, strain the liquor, and cool it in ice as before mentioned. 327. To make a cooling Cinnamon Water. Boil one quart of water in a glass vessel before the fire. Take it off, and put in two or three cloven, and about haif an ounce of Whole cinnamon. Stop weil the bottle, and when K S3 SECRETS INPUTS AND TRADES. the water is cold, put half a pint only of it in two quarts of water with sugar to your palate, a quarter of a pound is the proper quantity. Then cool it as usual, in ice before serving. 328. Anniseed Water. The anniseed water is made in tke same manner as the co- riander water. 329. Juniper Water. Put two pounds of juniper berries with two quarts of bran- dy in a stone bottle, which stop well and place on hot ashes to infuse for twenty-four hours. Strain the liquor, and add one pound of sugar, half an ounce of cinnamon, as much cloves, a preserved half peel of a lemon, and twopugilsof anniseed. Put these in the bottle, stop it well,and place it at two or three different times in a baker's oven, after the bread is out, and when you may bear your hand in it without burning. 330. To make good Hydromel 9 otherwise Metkeglin, Take honey and water, equal quantities in weight. Boil them together and skim the honey. When done sufficiently you may know by putting an egg in, which must swim at top. Pour then the liquor in a cask where there has been spirit of wine, or good brandy, well soaked with either, and still wet with the spirit, and add two or three grains of ambergris. Stop well the casfc, and set it in the sun during the dog days. When it begins to ferment, unstop the cask to let the scum out, which arises like that of new wine. During that time you must not stir the cask. When the first fire of the fermentation has subsided, stop the cask again, and the hydromel is fit for keep- ing. Note. Instead of the sun, you may in other seasons, makci use of the top of a baker's oven, a stove, or a hot-house. 331. Angelic water. 1. Take half an ounce of angelica, as much cinnamon, a quarter part of cloves, the same quantity of mace, of cori- ander, and of green anniseed, with half an ounce of cedar- wood. Bruise all these mgredidents in a mortar, and set them to infuse for twelve hours, with two quarts of genuine brandy, in a matrass or retort. Then distil the liquor by bal- neum mari#. 2. Two or three ounces only of this essential spirit in two quarts of brandy, with the addition of a veTy small quantity of musk and ambergris? will make a very agreeable liquor. SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES, e* 332. To make Cinnamon Water. In three quarts of once boiled water, and then cooled again 5 put half a pint of essential spirit of cinnamon, distilled like that of anniseed. Add three pints of spirit of wine, and one of clarified sugar. Strain all through the jelly-bag, &c. &c. 333. The preparation of musk and amber y to have it ready 'when 'wanted to put in cordials. Put in a mortar and pulverise four grains of ambers two of musk, and two ounces of sugar. Wrap, this powder up in a paper, and cover it over with several others. With this pow- der you may perfume such cordials as require it. The dose is a pugil, taken with the point of a knife, shake lightly in it. You may however increase or diminish this dose, according to your liking* 334. Strong anise-seed water > or animated brandy. Put half a pint of essential spirit of anise-seed into three quarts of the best genuine brandy, with one of boiled water. If you want it sweet, add clarified sugar. Strain all through the jelly-bag, Gfc. l$c. 335. An exceeding good Ratafia. On a quart of good brandy put half a pint of cherry juice* as much of currants, and the same of raspberries. Add a few cloves, a pugil of white pepper in grain, two of green coriander, and a stick or two of cinnamon. Then pound the stones of the cherries, and put them in, wood and altogether. Add a few kernels of apricots, thirty or forty are sufficient. Stop well the pitcher, which must be a new one, after all these ingredients are in, let the whole infuse a couple of months in the shade, shaking twice or thrice during that space of time, at the end of which run the liquor through the flannel bag, and next through the filtering paper, then bottle and stop it well for use. Note. In increasing in due proportion the quantity of the brandy, and the doses of each of the ingredients prescribed, you may make what quantity you like of this Ratifia. 336. An essence of ambergris. Pound one drachm of ambergris, and put it on a pint of good Spirit of wine, in a thick and green glass bottle. Add to it half a drachm of musk in bladder, cut very small. Set this bottle in the full south sun, on gravel, during the dog-days, taking it off every night, and during rainy weather. Stir and 100 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. shake well the bottle and its contents, two or three times a day, when the sun strikes on the bottle, that the amber may diffuse in the liquor, asd the essence is made. Deeant, bot- tle, and stop it for use. 337. A smelling water. 1. Put in any quantity of brandy, benjamin, and storax calamite, equal parts ; a little cloves and mace, coarsely bruised. Set this a digesting for five or six days on warm ashes. When the liquor is tinged of a fine red, decant it gently from the residue in a glass bottle, and throw in a few grains of musk, before stopping it. 2. TLiee drops of this smelling water in a common glass tumbler of water, give it a very agreeable fragrance. . With the ground, or residue, you may make lozenges, by adding a little gum-adragrant to bind them. 338. A receipt 1o compose one pint of rossolisj with which you can make forty. 1. Take two ounces of galanga 5 half a one of cinnamon ; 28 much cloves; one of coriander ; a penny-worth of green anise-seed; half an ounce of ginger ; two drachms of mace, and two of Florentine orrice. Bruise all, and put it to in- fuse with three pints of the best brandy, in a matrass with a long neck. Adapt it to the receiver, and lute well all the joints, both of the receiver, and the bolthead, with paper and starch. 2. Twelve hours after it has been a digesting, distil the liquor by the heat of a very .gentle balneum m&rt/e y till you have got about one quart of distilled spirit. Then unlute the receiver and keep the liquor. 3. You may adapt another receiver, or the same again, af- ter being emptied, lute it, and continue to distil as before. But what will come will be infinitely weaker, though per- haps not altogether very indifferent. 339. Burnt wine. Put a quart of good Burgundy in an open pan, with a pound of sugar, two leaves of mace, a little long pepper, a dozen of cloves, two or three tops of rosemary branches, and two bay- leaves. Place that in the middle of a wheel-fire of blasting charcoal. When the wine begins to be hot, set the fire to it with a bit of paper, and thus let it kindle and blaze till it goes out of itself. This wine is drank quite hot, and it is an admirable drink, especially when the weather is very cold* SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 10* 340. An admirable oil of sugar. Rinse a matrass with vinegar, put in it some dry powder sugar, or lump sugar pulverised. Keep that matrass on hot ashes, turning and whirling it round and flat ways, by means of the neck of the matrass which you hold in your hands with a cloth, and stop it not. The effect is such, the heat ecca* sions the vapours to rise about the matrass, which by turning and whirling it, as above-mentioned, makes the sugar which is in it resoak and imbibe them again. This operation dis- solves the sugar, and reduces it into a sort of oil. 341. Another oil of sugar > 'without the assistance of fire. Take a lemon, which hollow and carve out inwardly, tak- ing out all the pulp as skilfully as possible. Then fill it up with sugar candy in powder, and suspend it in a very damp cellar, with a bason under it. There will drop an exceeding good oil, which is endowed with the most admirable quali- ties for consumptive people, or them who are affected with a difficulty of breathing. Note. A little of that oil in liquors gives to any one of them, to which it is added, a very fine flavour. 342. An admirable essence of red sugar. 1 . Pulverise five pounds of the best double refined, or roy- al sugar ; which done, put along with eight ounces of bran- dy in a large matrass, over a sand bath. Distil some part, of this first, on a slow fire, to avoid burning the sugar. Re-put the distilled liquor over the sugar again in the matrass. Con- tinue to distil and pour the liquor again in the matrass over the sugar, till the sugar becomes red, which will happen at the seventh or eighth iteration of distillation. 2. Now distil out all the brandy, and on the remaining sugar pour common water, which distil also, then add some more, continuing so to do, till you have drawn out all the tincture of the red sugar. 3. Take next all these red waters, and run them through the filtering paper, then distil the phlegm on a gentle fire to siccity (or dryness). Put again this distilled phlegm on the residue : which place all together in a cold cellar. You will find some red chrystais, which pick up, and when dry, pul- verise ; then pour brandy over to dissolve. This admirable quintessence of sugar has the virtue of preserving the radical moistness of the inside, and our health. los SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 34-2* How to extract the essential oil from any flower. Take any flower you like, which stratify with common sea salt in a clean earthen glazed pot. When thus filled to the top, cover it well, and carry it to the cellar. Forty days after put a crape over a pan, and empty all on it to strain the essence from the flowers by pressure. Bottle that essence, and expose it four or five weeks in the sun, and dew of the evening to purify. One single drop of that essence is enough to -scent a whole quart of liquor. 344. Essence of jessamine^ roses t and ether flowers. 1. Take roses of a good colour, and fresh gathered. Pick all the leaves, which expand in the shade on a paper. For two or three days, during which you are to leave them there, asperse them, morning and evening, with rose water, stirring them each time. 2. When this has been performed, put them in a glass, or varnished vessel, which stop as perfectly as you can, and place in the hottest horse-dung, which renew every five days. A fortnight after this, place the vessel in a balneo marix, adapting a bolt-head to it and a receiver, and lute all well. Distil the water, on which you observe the essence swimming. This you must divide by means of a wick, or filtering paper, Put the essence in a glass phial well stopped. 345. To draw the essential oil of roses. Pound in a mortar thirty pounds of leaves of roses, with three pounds of common decrepitated salt ; then put all in a pot well luted, which set in a cool place. Fifteen or eigh- teen days after, moisten well this matter with common wa- ter, stirring it till reduced into a pap. Then put it in an al- embic with its refrigerator. Make a smart fire, which will send first the water, next the oil, susceptible of congealing by cold, and liquifying again by heat. One drop of that oil gives more smell a hundred times than the distilled water from the same roses* 346. Essence of capon and other fowls. Cure the inside of any fowl, by taking away all the entrails. Fill it with lump sugar, pulverised and mixed with four oun- ces of damask raisins, perfectly stoned. Sew the fowl up again, and put it in a pipkin, which cover carefully with its lid, and Jute all round with paste. Place this pot in an ov- en, when the bread goes in, and take it out along with it. Then uncover it, and strain the liquor through a cloth, with expression of the animal. This essence is the greatest restor- SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. los ative for old or enervated people ; likewise to hasten the re- covery of health after long illness. Take two large table spoonfuls early in the morning fasting, and as much at night after supper. 347. Virginal milk. l. Take one ounce and a half of benjamin ; storax as much, and one of eastern white balm. Put all in a thick glass phi- al, with three half pints of spirit of wine, which pour over. Put this in digestion over hoc ashes, till the spirit of wine ap- pears of a fine red colour. 2?. To use it, put four drops in half a pint of water, and it instantly turns as white as milk. S. Exteriorly used, it whitens the skin, if you wash with it ; it has likewise the same effect upon teeth, by rinsing the mouth, and rubbing them with it. Interiorly taken, it cures the heats and burning of the extinction of the voice. 34-8. To make mutton- suet can dies 3 in imitation of 'wax candles. 1 . Throw quick-lime in melted mutton suet ; the lime wiH fall to the bottom, and carry along with it all the nastiness of the suet, so as to leave it as pure and fine as wax itself. 2. Now if with one part of that suet, you mix three of real wax, you will never be able to find out the mixture, not ev- en in the moulding and casting wax for figures or ornamentSo 349. To make soap. The white, or as it is called, the Geno soap, is made with wood ashes, Alicant kali, lime and olive oil. The black is made of the same materials, with this exception, that it is made with the faces and tartar of the oils. The marble is made with Alicant kali, bourde, and lime ; and when it is al- most done, they take some red earth, which they call cinna- bar, with copperas ; they boil the^e together and throw it in the copper where the soap is. It occasions a blue marbling, as long as the copperas keeps the better of the two ingredi- ents ; but as soon as the cinnabar has at last absorbed the vit- riol, this blue hue subsides intirely, and the red alone predom- inates. Therefore to form the soap, make different lyes with all these sorts of matters, and when they are sufficiently char- ged (which beginners know by their carrying an egg swim- ming, without its sinking to the bottom, and experienced soap-boilers are judges of by dejustation, and the time they have been at work) they put all these lyes in proper coppers, uid pour at the same time in Provence and Languedoc 9 oil of 104 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. olive; in Germany, grease ; and in England, oil offish* Thets boil all together with a great blasting fire ; and eighteen or twenty days afterwards these oils have so well aspired all the salts of the lye, that this is left quite flat and untasty. Then by the cocks which are at the bottom of the coppers, the water OK lye is let out and the lump of soap taken out and placed to dry in houses built on purpose, to make it take a sufficient consistence. 350. To prevent any thing burning in the fire* Pound into powder cherry-tree gum and alum in equai quantities, and imbibe that powder with strong wine-vinegar, which leave thus a digesting on warm ashes, for the space of twenty-four hours. If with this composition you rub any thing and throw it in the fire, it will not be consumed by it, 351. To prevent burning en? s fingers in melted lead. Take two ounces of bol armenlan, one of quicksilver, half a one of camphire, and two of brandy. Mix all together with a pestle in a brass mortar, and rub your hands with this composition, before steeping them into a pot of melted lead, and this will have no effect upon them. 352. Afire which cannot be extinguished by water.' Take five ounces of gun-powder ; saltpetre three ; brim-" stone, two, camphire. rosin, and turpentine one of each. Mix all together, and imbibe it with rectified oil of rosiny fir-tree. If you fill balls with this composition and throw them thirty feet deep in the water, they will burn still, even if you cover them intirely with mould. 353. To kill all sorts of worms in cattle. Take saixn, chop it small, and beat it with fresh butter, make it in small balls, and give it to the beast in a propor- tionable quantity. Sweet wort and a little black soap mixed together as a drink, niaketh all sorts of beasts void the worms. 354% To kill maggots in sheep. Take goose grease, tar and brimstone, mix them together OR the fire, and when cold anoint the troubled places there- 'with. 355. How to colour any sort of liquor. Bruise into a coarse powder some santalum rubrum, which put into a bottle with a di^cretionable quantity of spirit of SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. lOS wine poured over it. Jn five or six hours time the tincture will be very high ; therefore it will be fit to give a colour to any liquor you chuse, by pouring some of it into the liquor, and shaking it till you find it is coloured to your liking. 356. A ladies fine rouge not hurtful to their skin like other rouges, wherein there always enters a mixture of lead or quicksilver. The above preparation of tantalum rubrum, modified with common water to take off the strength of the spirit of wine and an addition of one clove, a little civet, a little cinnamon, and the bulk of a filbert of alum, per quarter of a pint of liquor, with safety, 357. A fine smelling water, at a small expense. Take two quarts of rose-water drawn by distillation in balneo mari especially currents. 1. Pick a quantity of red currants of all their stalks, and squeeze them through a sieve in a commodious vessel. Carry this vessel to the cellar, placing it on a stool or any suspending shelf from the ground : and, after that juice shall have worked three or four days, strain it through a sieve in another vessel, then through the flannel bag to get it as clear as possible. 2. Now for every two quarts of such liquor, have four pounds of sugar, which put in a preserving pan, and melt over the fire, with a little common water to help the dissolu- tion of it. Boil it thus to the consistence of caramel, without burning it ; and, when at that degree, pour through the holes of the skimmer the measured liquor, which must boil also to a perfect syrup according to the afore-prescribed trials. All this being well executed, take it off, let it cool, and bot- tle it for use. Note. All sorts of syrups, such as cherries, raspberries, and others, may be made in the same manner, with this difference only, that they are not to be put to work in the cellar, but employed directly as soon as the juice is squeezed out of the fruits. 366. To make liquid current jam. Pick four pounds of currants, and clear them of their stalks. Put aside two pounds and a half of them in a dish f and squeeze the other one pound a half remaining. Now, in a preserving pan, dissolve four pounds of sugar ; and, when come to a syrup, put in the two pounds and a half of whole currants, along with one pound and a half of juice of the same, and boil all together to perfection. 367. To preserve apricots. Chuse a quantity of apricots, just turned, butnot ripe, and the fruit of which has still all its hardness and greenness. Take out the stones, by means of a small bladed knife, which introduce at the point of the apricot, till you feel the stone, and then push to make it come out at the tail. When you have thus prepared four pounds of them (weighed after ston- ing) have a large wide pan of boiling water on the fire, in SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRABES. 10S> -which throw them in order to branch them, taking great care that they should not spot in the water. When blanched, take them out with a skimmer, and set them a-draining on a sieve. Then boil ^and clarify four pounds of sugar into a syrup. When done, take it out, and put in your apricots softly, set them again on the fire, and give them two or three bubbles ; take the pan from the fire and let them cool. 'By this means they throw off their superfluous moi-tness.and. take the sugar. -When cold, take them from the sugar with a skimmer, and set them a=draining, while you put the syrup on the fire to boil. ,When drained, put them again in the foiling syrup, and give them live or six bubbles more, aftei which let them rest till the next day, put them again on the fire, and finish them. They will be what is called Liquid, and you may pot them in that state. 366. Hew to make a dry preserve of them. Proceed as above-directed, till the time they are fitf sugar as you have fruit, and take it off the fire j when. the SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 1 1 i syrup is cooled, put your fruit in, which stir well with the spatula, then put all again on the fine for ten minutes, in or- der to make the fruit take well the sugar. When the jam- is well done, fine and transparent, pot it. 373. To make raspberry^ currant and cherry jam. All these fruits mu t be squeezed through a sieve, then, clarify the sugar, and throw in the juice, bring to perfection? afterwards as-directed in-the last receipt. 374. To make a good currant jelly. Have four pounds of currant?, after picking. Then dis- solve in water four pounds of loaf sugar, when make into a pretty strong syrup. Now put the currants in, and boil so as to have them covered with the bubble?. Six minutes after such a boiling^ take the pan from the fire, and pour the contents in a sieve to strain off all the liquid. Put this liquor again in the pan and boil it, till taking a drop with the skimmer, and pouring it on a plate, it congeals as it cools. Then it is fit to pot. Th^y who want to spare the sugar, and have a great deal of jeilyat a smaller expense, maj employ four pounds only of sugar to six of currants, after picking and proceed as above. They must however observe to do thejeily rather more than in the preceding case, when the fruit and sugar are pound for pound. 375. To make an apple jelly* 1. Cut in small bits a dozen of gold rennets, and put them i;i lh^ preserving pan, with three quarts of water, which boil to ihte reduction of one half. Throw all In a cloth to strain it through, and draw all the juice from the apples. Then to tiiis, put four pounds of sugar, which boil to a jelly. 2. To give apointeto that jelly, you may add the juice of one icipon, and even the rasping of one half of its rin$. 376. A conserve with rasping of Portugal oranges and . lemons^ conjointly or separately. Put your raspings to dry in a plate. Prepare some sugar into a syrup, not quite so strong as recommended in the last receipt, ^ake this from the fire, and stir it with a spoon, round the pan and in the middle; then .throw in your rasp- ings of lemon or orange, or both together, and having stirred el], put it IL the moulds and make your drops,. 212 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES; 377. 21? whiten cherries^ currants^ raspberries^ strawberries and such like fruit, Beat one or two whites of eggs with orange flower-waters t then steep your fruit in, and roll it afterwards in a diih wherein there i? lump sugar pulverised and sifted very fine. When it is well covered over with sugar, put it on a sheet of paper, and set it in the sun to dry. You may thus ice ail sort:) of fruits susceptible of icing. 378. How to preserve orange peels all ti* year, but es~ pecially in May. Cut some oranges m four quarters and peel them. Then put the peels to soak in water for about ten or twelve days % then dry them between two cloths, and put them in a cald- ron with a sufficient quantity of honey to half cover them. Boil them thus one minute or two, stirring them incessantly. Then take them off the fire, and let them rest till the next day, put them on again, and let boil ten minutes or a quarter- of an hour. For six or seven days repeat the same operation, taking great care incessantly- to stir, turn them all the while they are on the fire. On the eighth day change the honey ; and in the fresh honey boil them five minutes, then pot them with that new honey in which they boiled last, and keep them for use, after having added pome cinnamon, cloves, and \ ivhite ginger, mixed and both reduced into subtile powder. 379. The Genoa paste. Take equal quantities of quinces and odoring apple pulp. The pulp is prepared thus : peel these fruits, and clear them of their kernels. Then pound them in a mortar with ro?e water, and strain them through a sieve. Put the paste on the fire to-dcy by degree?, stirring it all the while with a wood" en spatula. Then add as much sugar in powder as you have pulp, and go on in doing it, UH it has acquired the consistence of a paste. 380. Quinces jam , and other fruits. Boil in a sufficient quantity of water, both the flesh and the peelings of your fruits to perfect softness. Then let the decoction clarify in the sun, when settled," decant it, and ad - ding to the liquor the proper quantity of sugar, boil it to a. jelly. SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRAO&& v > - 381. Gf 00 biscuits. Take four ounces of sugar in powder, one pound of flour, a little coriander and anniseeds in powder, which mix with four eggs and as much lukewarm water as needs to make a dough of the whole. Bake it in the oven, and when baked r cut it in tiv-e or six slices, which you bake again. 382. Macaroons. Pound well one pound of sweet almonds, moistening them with rose water. Introduce one pound of sugar, and beat all well in a soft paste, which put round a dish, and half bake in a lukewarm oven. When the pa-te is half done, cut it v\ small round pieces, and having ranged them on a sheet of pa- per, tinLh baking them. 383. Particular method of making cakes. Wash and clean well a dozen of eggs, and wipe them thoroughly dry. Then bieak them and take their whites only, which beat in a mortar along with thtir shells till these latter be perfectly dissolved. Now 3 Such is the indis- pen >ible preparation absolutely requisite to dispose snuff to > receive the odour, of flowers, If. you do not care to have it 30 perfectly nice, and should not like to waste so much of it ? you may give it but one wa^h of the common water. This moderate purgation will do pretty well, especially if, while it is a drying in the sun, you knead it the more often in pro- portion with your fragrant waters, and let it dry each tinu; between. \ 388. How to perfume snuff with flowers. The tuberose, the jessamine, the orange flowers, &c. and those which communicate the more easily their fragrancy to the snuff. To produce this, have a box lined with white paper perfectly dry, in which make a bed of snuff, the thick 3es&.of an inch, then one of flowers, another of snuff, and an- SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES;' US' other of flowers again, continuing so to do till you have em- ployed all your snuff. After having let this stratification sub- sist for twenty-four hours, separate the Rowers from the snuC by means of the sieve, and renew the same stratification again as before with new flowers. Continue thus to do till you find that your snuff has acquired a sufficient fragrancy from the flowers: then put it in lead boxes to keep it. 389. The odour Ing snuff after the method practised at- Rome. Take the snuff after its being perfumed with flowers, and put it in a large bowl or other proper vessel. Pour over i?; some white wine with an addition of essences of musk and < amber, or any other such like odoure. Then stir your snuff and rub it all between your hands. In this manner you may: have snuff of whatever odour you desire, which, to distinguish from each other, you putinto separate lead boxes with a par- ticular mark* 390. The snuff ^wlth tie odour of civet. Take a little civet in your hands with a little snuff ; spread that civet, more and more in bruising with your fingers, and an addition of snuff. After Having, mixed and remixed it thus in your hand with the whole quantity of snuff, put all again together in its box as before. You may do the same with re spect to other odours, 391. Amber-snuff? Heat the bottom of a mortar, and pound in it twenty grains of amber, adding by degrees a pound of snuff to it, which rub and mix afterwards with your hands to introduce the : odourthebetteramong.it. - 392. The odor ing sn uff y M aithese fashion . - Take a snuff ready prepared with orange flower water, (as directed in art. 387,) then perfume it with amber as we have jast said ; after which with ten grains of civet, pound with a little sugar in a mortar, introduce again your snuff, by de- grees, to the quantity of a pound for these ten grains, increas- ing either the snuff or the odours in the same proportion to each other. 393. The true Malthese method of preparing snuff. Take rose tree and liquorice roots, which peel and reduce them into pgwder and sift it, then give it what odou* you H3 SSC&ETS IN ARTS AND TRADES, like, adding white wine, brandy or spirit of wine, and mix your snuff" well with thi?. Such is the true Malthese method of preparing snuff. 394. The Spanish method of preparing perfumed snuff* 1. Pound in a small mortar twenty grains of musk with a little ?ugar. Add by degrees as much as a pound of snuff to it ; then pound ten grains of civet, and introduce your musk- ed snuff to it in a gradual manner as before, and rub altogeth- er between your hands. ^2. The Seviile-snuif is the same with only an addition of twenty grains of vanilla* an ingredient which enters in the composition of chocolate* 3. They wha are fond of a milder and sweeter odour in their snuflf may increase the quantity of snuff for the prescrib- ed doses of odours, or diminish the doses of odours pre~ scribed for the quantity of snuff. Take care not to let odour- ing snuff be exposed to the air, but keep it very close for fear it should lo e it fragrancy. 4. As the Spanish snuff is excessively fine ard drawing to~ wards a reddish hue, to imitate it in the above prescription you must chuse fine Holland well purged, reddened and gran- ulated, pound and sift it through a very fine silk sieve. Then give it whatever odour you like, after having purged it in the manner we prescribed in article 387. 5. There is no inconveniency in taking a snuff already pre- pared with flowers, to give it afterwards, an odour of am- ber, musk, and other perfume. On the contrary, such a snuff is the readier to take the other odours, and preserve them so much the longer. 395. To give a red or ysllow cohur to snujf. Take the bulk of a nut of red or yellow ochre, with which mix a little white chalk to temperate the above colours at your pleasure. Grind either of the e ochres with three drachms of oil of almonds ; then continuing to grind it on the stone, add by a little at a time some water to it till you see the paste admits of it freely and becomes very smooth and equal. Now take some gum adragant water and introduce it to the above paste, stirring continually. At last gather it in alargegrhzed bowl, and dilute it in about a quart of common water. Then take your snuff, well purged and prepared' as in art. 387, and throw it in this bowl, wherein handle and rub it well to make it take the colour more regularly and equally. When it is thus made all into a lump, let it rest twenty-four hours be- fore putting it to dry in the sun, which immediately after spreading it on a dry cloth and turning it now and tket) to SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 1 1 ,- lielp its drying. Then gum it again by aspersion with gum adragant pulverised and dissolved into some smelling watery or you may again dip your hands into that water, and rub your snuff between your hands thus wetted, which last meth- od is preferable, as it gums the snuff infinitely more regular. Lastly, dry it again in the sun ; and when perfectly dry, sift it through the finest sieve you can find, and then it will be ready to admit of whatever odour you please to impregnate it with, 396. To take tff iron moulds from linen* Put boiling water into a bowl, and spread the stained parts of your linen over it. as to be well penetrated with the steam 3>f the water. Then rub the plsces with sorrel juice and salt till they are perfectly soaked. Such linen washed afterwards in the lye of wood a?hes, will be found to return entirely free from the iron mould spots it had before. 397. To take off carriage wheel grease from clothes. Rub the place with batter. Then with blotting paper and a hot iron yoir may take all off as you would a drop of was or tallow orr a cloth. 398. To take cjf spots from cloth of any colour, Take half a pound of crude honey, the yolk of a new laid egg, and the bulk of a nut of ammoniac salt. Mix altogeth- er, and put some on the spots. Having left it there a whi;e, waih the place with clean water, and the spot will dib^>- pear/ 399; A receipt against all sorts of spots upon stuff* A water impregnated with alkaline salt, black soap and bullock's gall, take off extremely well the greasy spots from any. cloth or silk stuff. 400. Against cil spcts. Take a piece of white soap, shaved very fine, and put in a, quart bottle with a wide mouth and neck, half filled with lye. Add to this the bulk of a nut of ammoniac salt, two yoiks of eggs, cabbage juice and bullock's gall a discretiona- ble quantity, one ounce -of salt of tartar in subtile powder sift- ed. Stop the bottle well, shake it and expose it to the sun for four days. After that time if you pour off that liquor on 3 la SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. any oil spot, and rub it well with it in and outside, then let it dry, and wash it again with clear water. 401. To take out pitch and turpentine spofs. Rub well the spot with oil of olive, which set to dry for one day. Then with warm water and the above washing ball, you will entirely ungrease the place. 402. Against ink spots, whether on cloth or linen. Wet immediately the place with lemon, or sorrel juice, or with white soap diluted in vinegar. 403. For silks. If you rub the spots which are upon a silk with spirit of turpentine, they will disappear; because the volatility of that spirit exhaling into vapour, carries along with it the oil of the spot to which on account of its homogeneous quality, it communicates it volatility, by penetrating and subdividing it infinitely. 404. To restore gold and silver lace to their former beauty. Mix equal quantities of water, bullock's and jack's gall. With this composition, rub your gold or silver, and you will see it changing colour directly* 405. To restore Turkey carpets to their Jirst bloom. Beat the carpet well with a rod, till perfectly free from du^t. Then'if there be any spots of ink, take them out with a lemon, or with sorrel, and wash the place afterwards with clear water. Shake the rest of the water off, and let it dry, risb the carpet very hard all over with the smoakinghot crum of a white loaf; and when you find in the evening the skies clear and a likelihood of being a fine night, let the carpet be put out for two or three such nights. 406. To make tapestries resume their Jirst bright ness 9 ivhen their colours have been tarnished and spoiled. Shake and clean well the tapestry by robbing it all over with white chalk, which leave on it for about one day. Next with a rough hair brush get all that chalk out again, aucl put on fresh, which leave as before. Then with the same rough hair brush get this out also, and beat it soundly with a rod, SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 119 and brush it afterwards with a soft cloth-brush. This cp oration wiU restore a tapestry to its pristine state. 407. To take off spots of wax from velvet of any colour, except the crimson. Take the crum of a stale loaf, and cut a thick slice out of it, which toast and apply, while burning hot, an the spot of wax ; when cooled, renew it till all the wax is soaked out of the velvet. 408. To iva/h a gold or silver ^ or sill embroidery or any stuff whatever, and render it like new. Take bullock's gall, a pound, soap and honey, three ounces of each, and Florentine orrice, about the same quantity in -subtile powder. Pat all in^ a glass vessel, in which mix it well into a paste, and let it be exposed for ten days in the sun. When you are ready to use it, make an infusion of bran, which boil in water and strain through a cloth. Then smear the work over with the above described paste, in such places as you want to clean, and wash them afterwards with bran water, renewing this till it receives no more alteration in its colour. Wipe well the places with a white cloth and wrap the work in a clean napkin to set it in the sun co dry, after which pass it through the polishing and lustring press, and the work will be as fine and bright as when new. 409. To revive the colour of a cloth. Pour one quart of water on one pound of burnt pot-ashes. Twelve hours after decant the water offin another vessel, knd put in a handful of dry moth mullin leaves, with two bul- lock's galls. Boil altogether till the leaves go to the bottom, Then set this watef for a few days in the sun. Then putting m it whatever colour you want, boil it with the cloth in that lye, and let it thus soak afterwards fourteen or fifteen days, then the cloth will have resumed its primary colour. 410. To take the spots of from a white doth. ^ Boil two ounces of alum for half an hour, in a pint, or a pint and a half of water ; then put in a piece of white soap* with another pound of alum ; and having soaked thus three days in the cold, you may with it wash all the spots of any white cloth whatever. 4 i 1 . A composition of soap -to take off all sorts of spots, \. Take a pound of Venetian white soap, six yolks of eggs and half a spoonful of salt pounded. Incorporate all together 1 20 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. \vith a sufficient quantity of the juice from the leaves that kind of clay which becomes white by baking, and which, either by intermingled heterogeneous earth, or by particular additions, undergoes in the fire an incipient vitrification, in which the true nature of porcelain consists. Feldspar and gypsum, if added, may give that property to infusible clay. When porcelain is to be made, the clay is properly select-. ed, carefully washed from impurities, and again dried. It is then finely sifted, and most accurately mingled with quartz, ground very fine ; to which, then, is added some burnt and finely pulverised gypsum, This mass is worked with water to a paste, and duly kneaded ; it is usually suffered to lie in this state for years. The vessels and other goods formed of this mass, are first moderately burnt in earthen pots, to re- ceive a certain degree of compactness, and to be ready for glazing. The glazing consists of an easily melted mixture of some species of earths, as the petrosilex or chert, fragments of porcelain and gypsum, which, when fused together, pro- duce a crystalline, or vitreous mass, that, after cooling, is ve- ry finely ground, and suspended in a sufficient quantity of water. Into this fluid the rough ware is dipped, by which the glazing matter is deposited uniformly on every part of its surface. After drying, each article is thoroughly baked or burned in the violent heat of the porcelain furnace. It is usual to decorate porcelain by paintings, for which purpose, enam- els or pastes, coloured by metallic oxydes, are used, so easy of fusion as to run in a heat less intense than that in which the glazing of the ware melts. Delft ware, so called because first made at Delft in Hol- land, is a kind of pottery made of sand and clay, and but slightly baked, so that it resists sudden application of heau Articles made of this are glazed with an enamel, composed of common salt, sand ground fine, oxyde of lead, and oxycje of tin. The use of the latter is to give opacity to the glaze, Tobacco pipes require a very fine, tenacious, and refractory- clay, which is either naturally of a perfectly white colour, or if it have somewhat of a grey cast, will necessarily burn white. A clay of this kind must contain no calcareous or ferruginous, earth, and must also be carefuDy deprived of any sand it may contain, by washing. It ought to possess, besides, the capi- tal property of shrinking but little in the fire. If it should not prove sufficiently ductile, it may be meliorated by the admixture of another sort. Last of all, it is beaten, knead- ed, ground, washed, and sifted, till it acquires the requisite degree of fineness and ductility. When, after this preparation, the clay has obtained a due degree of ductility, it is rolled out in small portions to the usual length of a pipe, perforated with a wire, and put, to* 124 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. gether with the wire, into a brass mould rubbed over with oil, to give it its external form ; after which it is fixed into a vice, and the hollow part of the head formed with a stop- per. The pipes, thus brought into form, are cleared of the redundant clay that adheres to the seams, a rim or border is made round the head, they are then marked with an iron stamp upon the heel, and the surfaces smoothed and polished. When they are well dried, they are put into boxes, and ba- ked in a furnace. In the Dutch manufactories, these boxes consist of conical pots made of clay, with conical lids, with a tube passing through the middle of them, by which the pipes are supported ; or else, they are long clay boxes, in which the pipes are laid horizontally, and stratified with fragments of pipes pounded small. Lastly, the pipe?, when baked, are covered with a glazing or varnish, and afterwards rubbed with a cloth. This glazing consists of a quarter of a pound of soap, two ounces of white wax, and one ounce of gum arabic, or tragacanth, which are all boiled together in five pints of water, for the space of a few minuets. 417. OF ENGRAVING IN A$UA tlnta is a method of producing prints very much re- sembling drawings in Indian ink. The principle of the process consists in corroding the cop- per with aqua fortis, in such a manner, that an impression from it has the appearance of a tint laid on the paper. This is effected by covering the copper with a powder or some substance which takes a granulated form, so as to prevent the aqua foitis from acting where the particles adhere, and by t hi j means causes it to corrode the copper partially, and in the interstices only. When these particles are extremely minute and near to each other, the impression from the plate appears to the naked eye exactly like a wash of Indian ink ; but when they are larger, the granulation is more distinct, and as this may be varied at pleasure, it is capable of being adapted, with great success, to a variety of purposes and subjects. This powder, or granulation, is called the aqua tinta grain, and there are two general modes of producing it. We shall first describe what is called the powder grainy be- eauie it was the first that was used, Having etched the outline on a copper plate, prepared in the usual way by the copper smith (for which see the article Etching, ) some substance must be finely powdered and sifted, which will melt with heat, and when cold will adhere to the plate, and resist the action of aqua fortis. The substances which have been used for this purpose, either separately or SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 123 mixed, are aspbaltum, Burgundy pitch) rosin, gum copal, gum mcutich ; and, in a greater or less degree, all the resins and gum resins will answer the purpose. Common rosin has been most generally used, and answers tolerably well ; though gum copal makes a grain that resists the aqua fortis better. The substance intended to be used for the grain must now be distributed over the plate as equally as possible ; and dif- ferent methods of performing this essential part of the ope- ration have been used by different engravers, and at differant times. The most usual way is to tie up some of the powder in a piece of muslin, and strike it against a piece of stick, held at a considerable height above the plate ; by this, the powder that issues falls gently, and settles equally over the plate. Every one miut have observed how uniformly hair powder settles upon the furniture after the operations of the hair dresser. This may afford a hint towards the best mode of performing this part of the process. The powder must fall upon it from a considerable height, and there must be a suf- ficiently large cloud of the dust formed. The plate being covered equally over with the dust, or powder, the operator is next to proceed to fix it upon the plate, by heating it gent- ly, so as to melt the particles. This may be effected by hold- Ing under the plate lighted pieces of brown paper rolled up, and moving them about till every part of the powder is melt- ed ; this will be known by its change of colour, which will turn brownish. It must now be suffered to cool, when it may be examined with a magnifier, and if the grains or particles appear to be uniformly distributed, it is ready for the next part of the process. The de-ign or drawing to be engraved must now be exam- ined, and such parts of it as are perfectly white, are to be re- marked. Those corresponding parts of the plate must be covered, or stopped out, as it is called, with turpentine var- nijh, diluted with turpentine to a proper consistence, to work freely with the pencil, and mixed with lamp black to give it colour ; for if transparent, the touches of the pencil would not be so distinctly seen. The margin of the plate must also be covered with varnish. "When the stopping-out is sufficient- ly dry, a border of wax must be raised round the plate, in the same manner a-, in etching, and the aqua fortis properly diluted with water poured on. This is called biting-in, and is the part of the process which is most uncertain, and which requires the greatest degree of ftcperience. Wiien the aqua fortis has lain on so long that the plate, when printed, would produce the lightest tint in the drawing, it is poured off, and the plate Washed with water, and dried. When it is quite dry, the lightest tints In the drawing are stopped-out, and MS 126 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. the aqua fortis poured on as before, and the same process is repeated as often as there are tints to be produced in che plate. Although many plates are etched entirely by this method of stopping-out and biting-in alternately, yet it may easily be conceived, that in general, it would be very difficult to stop round, and leave out all the finishing touches, as also the leaves of trees and many other subjects, which it would be impossi- ble to execute with the necessary degree of freedom in this manner. To overcome this difficulty, another very ingenious process has been invented, by which these touches are laid on the plate with the same ease and expedition as they are in a drawing in Indian ink. Fine washed whiting is mixed with a little treacle or sugar, and diluted with water in the pencil, go as to work freely, and this is laid on the plate covered with the aqua-tint ground, in the same manner and on the same parts as ink on the drawing. When this is dry, the whole plate is varnished over with a weak and thin varnish of tur- pentine, asphaltum, or mastich, and then suffered to dry, when the aqua fortis is poured on. The varnish will immediately break up in the parts where the treacle mixture was laid, and expose all those places to the action of the acid, while the rest of the plate remains secure. The effect of this will be, that all the touches or places where the treacle was used, will be bit-in deeper than the rest, and will have all the precisian and firmness of touches in Indian ink. After the plate is completely bit-in, the bordering wax is taken off, by heating the plate a little with a lighted piece of paper; and' it is then cleared from the ground and varnish by oil of turpentine, and wiped clean with a rag and a little fine whiting, when it is ready for the printer. The principal disadvantages of this method of aqua tint- ing are, that it is extremely difficult to produce the required degree of coarseness or fineness in the grain, and that plates so engraved do not print many impressions before they are worn out. It is therefore now very seldom used, though it is occasionally of service. We next proceed to describe the second method of pro- ducing the aqua-tint ground, which is generally practised. Some resinous substance is dissolved in spirits of wine, as common resin, Burgundy pitch, or mastich, and this solution is poured all over the plate, which is then held in a slanting direction till the superfluou^fluid drains off; and it is laid down to dry, which it does in a few minutes. If the plate be then examined with the magnifier, it will be found that the spirit, in evaporating, has left the resin in a granulated state, or rather, that the latter has cracked in every direction, still adhering firmly tQ the copper. SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 127 A grain is thus produced with the greatest ease, which is extremely regular and beautiful, and much superior for most purposes to hat produced by the former method. After the grain is formed, every part of the process is conducted in the same manner as above described. Having thus given a general idea of the art, we shall men- tion some particulars necessary to be attended to, in order to ensure success in the operation. The spirits of wine used for the solution must be highly rectified, and of the best quality. What is sold in the shops, geneially contains camphor, which would entirely spoil the grain. Resin, Burgundy pitch, and gum mastich, when dissolved in spirits of wine, produce grains of a different appearance and figure, and are sometimes mixed in different proportions, according to the taste of the artist, some using one substance and some another. Jn order to produce a coarser or finer grain, it is necessary to use a greater or smaller quantity of resi'i ; and to ascertain the pro- per proportions, several spare pieces of copper must be pro- vided, on which the liquid may be poured, and the grain ex- amined, before it is applied to the plate to be engraved. Af- ter the solution is made, it must stand still and undisturbed for a day or two, till all the impurities of the resin have set- tled to the bottom, and the fluid is quite pellucid. No other method of freeing it from those impurities have been found to answer ; straining it through linen or muslin, only fills it with hairs, which are ruinous to the grain. The room in which the liquid is poured on the plate must be perfectly still and free from dust, which, whenever it falls on the plate while wet, causes a white spot, which it is impossible to re- move without laying the grain a-fresh. The plate must also be previously cleaned, with the greatest possible care, with a rag and whiting, as the smallest stain or particle of grease pro- duces a streak or blemish in the grain. All these attentions are absolutely necessary to produce a tolerably regular grain ; and, after every thing that can be done by the mo*t experi- enced artists, still there is much uncertainty in the process. They are somejtimes obliged to lay on the grains several times, before they procure one sufficiently regular. The same pro- portions of materials do not always produce the same effect, as it depends in some degree on their qualities ; and it is even materially altered by the weather. These difficulties are not ^ to be surmounted but by a great deal of experience ; and " those who are daily in the habit of practising the art, are fre- quently liable to the most unaccountable accidents. Indeed it is much to be lamented, that so elegant and useful a process should be so extremely delicate and uncertain. It being necessary to hold the plate in a slanting direction, in order to drain off the superfluous fluid, there will naturally be a greater body of the liquid at the bottom thaa at the top J28 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. of the plate. On this account, a gain laid in this way is al- ways coarser at the side of the plate that was held lowermost. The most usual way is, to keep the coarsest si.k: for the fore ground, that being generally the part which has the deepest shadows. In large landscapes, sometimes, various p<>rts are laid with different grains, according to the nature of the subject. The finer the grain is, the more nearly does the impression re?emble Indian ink, and the fitter it is for imitating draw- ings ; but very fine grains have several disadvantages ; for they are apt to come off before the aqua fortis has lain on long enough to produce the desired depth ; and as the plate is not corroded so deep, it sooner wears out in printing ; where- as coarser grains are firmer, the acid goes deeper, and the plate wiil throw off a great many more impressions. The reason of all this is evident, when it is considered, that, in the fine grains, the particles are small and near each other, and consequently the aqua fords, which acts laterally as well as downwards, soon undermines the particles, and causes them to come off*. If left too long on the plate, the acid would eat away the grain entirely. On these accounts, therefore, the moderately coarse grains are more sought after, and answer better the purpose of the publisher, than the fine grains which were formerly in use. Although there are considerable difficulties in laying pro- perly the aqua tint grain, yet corroding the copper, or bit- ing-in, so as to produce exactly the tint required, is still more precarious and uncertain. All engravers allow that no pos- itive rules can be laid down, by which the success of this process can be secured ; nothiag but a great deal of experi- ence and attentive observation can enable the artist to do it with any degree of certainty. There are some hints, however, which may be of consider- able importance to the person who wishes to attain the prac- tice of this art. It is evident, that the longer the ,icid remains on the copper, the deeper it bites, and consequently the darker will be the shade in the impression. It may be of some use, therefore, to have several bits of copper laid with aqua tint grounds, of the same kind to be used in the plate, and to let the aqua fortis remain for different lengths of time on each ; and then to examine the tints produced in one, two, three, four minutes, or longer. Observations of this kind, frequent- ly repeated, and with different degrees of strength of the acid, \vill at length assist the judgment, in guessing at the tint which is produced in the plafte. A magnifier is also useful to examine the grain, and to observe the depth to which it is bit It must be observed, that no proof of the plate can be obtained till the whole process is finished. If any part appears to have been bit too dark, it must be burnished down with a steel burnisher j but this requires great delicacy and good SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 129 management not to make the shade streaky ; and as the beau- ty and durability of the grain is always somewhat injured by it, it should be avoided as much as possible. Those parts which are not dark enough, must have a fresh grain laid over them, and be stopped round with varnish, arid subjected again to the aqua fortis. This is called re-biting, and requires peculiar care and attention, The plate must be very well cleaned out with turpentine before the grain is laid on, which should be pretty coarse, otherwise it will not lay upon the heights only, as is necessary, in order to produce the same grain. If the new grain is different from the former, it will not be so clear nor so firm, but rotten. We have now given a general account of the process of en- graving in aqua tinta, and we believe that no material cir- cumstance has been omitted, that can be communicated with- out seeing the operation: but after all it must be confessed, that no printed directions whatever can enable a person to practise it perfectly* Its success depends upon so many ni- cities, and attention to circumstances apparently trifling, that the person who attempts it must not be surprised if he does not succeed at first. It is a species of engraving simple and expeditious, if every thing goes on well ; but it is very, pre- carious, and the errors which are made are rectified with great difficulty. It seems to be adapted chiefly for imitation of sketches, washed drawings, and slight subjects ; but does not appear to be at all calculated to produce prints from finished pic- tures, as it is not susceptible of that accuracy in the balance of tints necessary for this purpose. Nor does it appear to be suitable for book plates, as it does not print a sufficient num- ber of impressions. It is therefore not to be put in compe- tition with the other modes of engraving. If confined to those subjects for which it is calculated, it must be allowed to be extremely useful ; as it is expeditious, and may be at- tained with much less trouble than any other mode of en- graving. But even this circumstance is a source of mischiei ? , as it occasions the production of a multitude of prints, that have no other effect than that of vitiating the public taste. Engraving in aqua tint was invented by LE PRINCE, a French artist, who kept his process a long time secret, arid it is said he sold his prints at finst as drawings ; but he appears to have been acquainted only with the powder grain and the common method of stopping out. The prints which he pro* duced are still some of the finest specimens of the art. Mr. PAUL SAN BY was the first who practised it in this country, and it was by him communicated to Mr. JUKES. It is now practised very generally all over Europe 5 but co where more successfully than in Great Britain, SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 418. ENGRAVING ON WOOD. Engraving on wood is a process exactly the reverse to en- graving on copper. In the latter, the strokes to be printed are sunk or cut into the copper, and a rolling press is used for printing it ; but in engravings on wood, all the wood is cut away, except the lines to be printed, which are left stand- ing up like types, and the mode cf printing is the same as that used in letter press. The wood used for this purpose is box wood, which is planed quite smooth. The design is then drawn upon the wood itself with black lead, and all the wood is cut away with gravers and other proper tools, except the lines that are drawn, Or sometimes the design is drawn upon paper, and pasted upon the wood, which is cut as before. This art is of considerable difficulty, and there are very few who prac- tise it. Jt is, however, useful for books, as the printing of it is cheaper than that of copper plates. Ic cannot be applied equally well to all the purposes to which copper plate en graving is applicable. 419. Method of painting Japan Work. Japan work ought properly to be painted with colours ia varnish ; though, for the greater dispatch, and in some very nice work in small, for the freer use of the pencil, the col- ours are sometimes tempered in oi|| which should previous- ly have a fourth part of its weight of gum animi dissolved in it ; or in default of that, gum sandarach, or gum maitich. When the oil is thus used, it should be well diluted with oil of turpentine, that the colours may lay more evenly and thin ; by which means, fewer of the polishing or upper coats of varnish become necessary. In some instances, water colours are laid on grounds of gold, in the manner of other paintings ; and are best, when so used in their proper appearance, without any varnish over them t and thejr are also sometimes so managed as to have the effect of embossed work. The colours employed in this ' way, for painting, are best prepared by means of isinglass size, corrected by honey or sugar candy. The body of which the embossed work is raised, need not, however, be tinged with the exterior colour, but may be best formed of very strong gum water, thickened to a proper consistence by bole Armenian and whiting in equal parts ; which being laid on the proper figure, and repaired when dry, may be then paint* ed with the proper colours, tempered with the isinglass size^ or, in the u^ual manner, with shell-lac varnish. SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 420. To male bitter almond biscuits. **, Pound in a mortar, three quarters of a pound of bitter and one quarter of sweet almonds. When thus pounded have eight or nine yolks of eggs, which beat up and mix with your paste of ;dmonds, and two pounds of pulverised lump sugar. This paste must be a deal harder than that of the Savoy bis- cuits. Then with the end of a knife, taking some of that paste, place it in rows on a sheet of paper, in what form or shape you like, and ice it with pulverised sugar, then put it in the the oven as you do the Savoy biscuits or massepins. 421. To purify oil olive, that it may be eaten with plea- sure, Take fair water two quarts, oil olive a pint : mix and shake them well together for a quarter of an hour in a glass ; then separate the water from the oil with a separating funnel. Do this four or five times or more, as you see occasion, till the oil becomes very pure; and the last time wash it with rose-water, then hang in the midst of the oil a coarse bag full of bruised nutmegs, cloves, and cinnamon, so will you give it an excellent taste. 422. To make sage y parsley or pennyroyal butter. When the butter is newly made, and well wrought from its water, miik and wheyisn part, mix therewith a little oil of sage or parsley, so much till the butter is strong enough in taste to your liking, and then temper them well together ; this will excuse you from eating the plants therewith ; and if you do this with the aforesaid clarified butter, it will be far better, and a most admirable rarity. 423. To make a candle that shall last long. Mix with your tallow unslacked lime in powder ; or make your candles of castiie-soap : such candles as these will be admirable for : lamp furnaces. Now it is the salt in the lime ind soap, that preserves the tallow from burning out so fast, otherwise it would. 424. To make the distilled oil out of any herb, seed % flower, or paper y in a moment without a furnace. . You must have a long pipe made of tin, or tobacco-pipe :lay with a hole in it as big as a small walnut, three or four nches from one end of it, into which you must put the mat- er, you would have the oil off; set it on a fire with a can* 152 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. die or a coal ; then put one end of the pipe into a bason of fair water, and blow at the other end, so will the smoak come into the water, and the oil will swim upon it, which you may separate with a funnel. 425. An excellent perfuming powder for the lair. Take iris roots in fine powder one ounce and a half, benja- min, storax, cloves, musk, of each two drachms : being all in fine powder, mix them for a perfume for hair powder. Take of this perfume one drachm, rice-flower impalpable one pound, mix them for a powder for the hair. Note, some use white starch, flower of French beans and the like. 426. A perfume to smoak and burn. Take labdanum two ounces, storax one ounce, benjamin, cloves, mace, of each half an ounce, musk, civet, of each ten grains, all in fine powder, make it up into cakes with mucil- age of gum tragacanth in rose-water, which dry ; and keep amorjg your cloathes, which when occasion requires, you may burn in a chafing dish of coals. 427. A remarkable circumstance concerning ale ; with an unerring method of brewing malt liquor, that will soon be fine and jit for drinking ; and far more palata- ble and wholesome than what is procured from the too common , erroneous way many brewers follow. Whoever brews, and expects to have either good ale or beer will be sure to be disappointed, if care is not taken to provide good malt and hops ; nor is the water made use of so very immaterial an article as Gome imagine, for a great deal de- pends upon it. What I have above advanced, may very likely be credited by many ; but when I come to tell thera, tkere is more malt liquor spoiled by high boiling, than by all mismanagements put together, it is easy to perceive I shall have many obstinate infatuated people to encounter with, who very simply imagine, that ale or beer, cannot possibly be bad which has had a four hours boiling. It is well known there are many parts of England remarkable for fine malt liquors ; and I as well know, that not one of the countries that have excelled in either ale or beer, ever boiled above half an hour at most. There is, indeed, a town in Devon- shire, that is said to have constantly good ale. I am well ac- quainted with it ; Barnstable no doubt, has a strong glutin- ous ale* that pleases many people ; and those who brew I dare say, most scandalously boil it, at least fofr hours. But SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 1 33 what is the consequence ? Why there is scarce a house in that place but affords a pair or two of crutches, and unhappy cripples to make use of them. I must own people in England have not followed this pernicious custom so much of late years. They find they are gainers by their reformation : and many have owned, they never had such valuable alepr beer, as, since they left off the old mistaken way of boiling for three or four hours, and acknowledge they have reduced it to less than a quarter of that time. There others again, who de- clare, to their customers, that they actually boil four hours ; when in fact, a quarter of an hour is the most they have boil- ed for five or six years past. I believe this reformation is chiefly owing to some treatises published concerning brewing, in which the pernicious consequence of high boiling is suffi- ciently displayed and exploded. I will beg leave to give an instance of the bad consequences of long boiling, that will be sufficient to satisfy any person who practises it, of their error. A gentleman of my acquaintance, in Chester, often complained to me, that he bought the best of malt and hops; that they had fine water from the river Dee, and he had it constantly boiled full four hours ; and yet notwithstanding all this, he could not have either good ale or beer. His lady too joined in the complaint, and said, it would be a great satis- faction if a remedy could be found, as many of the gentle- men who visited there preferred a glass of fine beer to any liquor whatever. I then told him, if he would have a brew- ing after my direction, I would be answerable, that it would prove satisfactory. Accordingly good malt and hops were provided, and the water wai fetched from the river Dee, as usual. I must own it was with the utmost difficulty I pre- vailed on the man who brewed to boil it so short a time, who protested it would be good for nothing, However, I at length prevailed, and he proceeded in the following manner : the quantity of liquor was sixty gallons; and to put the thing quite out of dispute, and to prove that boiling long was er- roneous, the first twenty gallons were boiled twenty six min- utes ; the second twenty gallons one hour and a quarter ; and the third and last twenty gallons full two hours. In about a month, the three casks were examined,: that which was boiled twenty-six minutes, proved extremely fine and well tasted, and gave a general satisfaction. But the ca>k which contained the liquor of the second boiling, was very far from being either so fine or pleasant. 'And the third ca^k which contained the last and Jong boiled liquor, proved very foul, and quite disagreeable in many otffer respects. Now as there was no difference in the management of the sixty gallons of ale I have been speaking of, boiling only excepted, how will the advocates for long boiling malt liquors account for this t N 13* SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. the same malt, hops and water, tunned at the same time, and hi casks of the same size, and placed in the same good cellar, J have to add to this account, that at the two months end, the second boiling was foul and ill tasted, and was made fine with great difficulty. The last boiling was very foul and bad ; at the end of six months it was cloudy, ropy, and ill tasted ; some attempts were made in vain, to fine it ; but at about ten months old, it was far worse. The gentleman, who, indeed, was too fond of long boiling, for many years before, as it had been often insinuated to him, that drink could not be boiled too much, was greatly pleased to find the first cask prove so exceeding good, with little boiling; he then gave orders to the man who brewed for him, never for the future to boil his liquor above\ twenty minutes, which directions were strictly observed : and it is now as uncommon to find any malt liquor that is bad in his cellars, as it was before to have any that was good. I would fain know what it is boiled for the length of four hours ? Some tell you, 'tis to get the goodness out of the hops. To which I answer, it is a sad thing so- many thousand gallons of malt liquor should be spoiled every year, only to get goodness (as they arc pleased to call it) out of the hops, when many other means might be used to do it in a few min- utes. Jn one word, the long boiling malt liquor has many bad properties attending it, without having any thing in its favour ; for it renders such ale too gummy and sizy to be wholesome, and is the cause of many becoming cripple?, vsho make a too frequent u c ;e of those pernicious 10r;g boiled liquors: for the blood, by this means, becomes too glutinous to pass the fine blood vessels : hence arise those various dis orders! those pains! those aches ! that render the unhappy ripples not only a fatigue themselves, but introduce disorders that are felt by future generations. Nor does the mischief stop here (though I must own this is the most melancholy part of it) for whenever such ale or beer proves foul, which is too commonly the case, it is with great difficulty made fine, and and fit for drinking. In short, those who once experience the great advantage that will result from boiling their liquor not lnger than twenty-five or thirty minutes, will be sure to have this satisfaction, that their ale will be much better, plea- santer, and more wholesome, than those that are long boiled ; by which they will not only preserve the health of those who drink it, but also have more liquor from the same quantity of malt ; which very likely may be a means of prevailing, as interest is in the case, more than any .other arguments. It is to be remarked that all liquor should be boiled as nimbly as possible (so as not to make it run out of the boiler) and also that the long stupid way of boiling for the goodness of the hop, is of the utmost prejudice; for its fine flavour will be goon extracted; what comes after, by length of stewing, is SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 135 only an earthy, heavy, pernicious quality, that will be sure to reader the ale disagreeable, and prove prejudicial to those who drink it. Thus much I have presumed to say, in order to prevent the pernicious custom, that has too long pre- vailed : persons of reason will very likely try the experi- ment : 'tis on those I rely and on whom it will chiefly depend to decide, which method is best to pursue, that guided by reason, long experience, and the result of many years prac- tice ; or the method obstinately pursued by unreasonable bigots, and a set of infatuated old women. 428. Of gliding leather. Leather may be gilded for common occasions by all the same methods which have been given for gilding paper or velum : except, that where the gold size is used, there is no occasion to wet the leather, to prevent the running of the oil out of the bounds. Either leaf gold or the powders may therefore be employed as well for leather as paper. But, un- less, in some fine work, or for every particular purposes, the German gold powder would answer as well as the true gold. It is needless consequently to repeat here the methods above shown with respect to the gilding p&per for covers to books, &c. which equally well suit for this purpose in general : but as there is a manner of gilding leather peculiar to the book binders, it is requisite to explain it. The method of gilding used by the book -binder, is to have the letters or copartments, scrolls, or other ornaments, cut in steel stamps ; not by sink- ing, as in most other cases, but by the projection of the fig- ure from the ground. These stamps are made hot ; and leaves of gold being laid on the parts accommodated to the pattern or design of the gilding, the hot stamps are pressed strongly on the gold and leather ; and bind the gold to it in the hol- lows formed by the stamp : the other redundant part of the gold being afterwards brushed or rubbed off. The manner practised by the professed leather gilders, for the making hangings for rooms, skreens, &c. is not properly gilding) but laquering) being done by means of leaf silver, coloured by a yellow varnish, on the same principle with the laqifered frames of pictures, &c. which were formerly in use. It is an important manufacture, as the leather ornamented in this manner, not only admits of great variety of designs in em- bossed work, resembling either gilding or silver ; but also of the addition of paintings of almost every sort. The manner of performing this kind of leather gilding is as follows. The skins are first procured in a dry state, after the common dressing and tanning. Those most proper for this purpose, are such as are of a firm close texture ; on which account, calf, or goat skins are preferable to sheep. But in tbat condi- 3 36 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. tion they are too hard and stiff for gilding in this way. In order therefore to soften them, they are first put for some hours in a tub of water, where they are, during such time, to be frequently stirred about with a strong stick. They are then taken out ; and, being held by one corner, beaten against a flat stone. They are next made smooth, by spreading them on the stone, and rubbing them strongly over by an iron in- strument resembling a blade, but with the lower edge formed round, and the upper edge set- in a wooden handle, passing horizontally the whole length of the blade. This instrument the workman slides on the surface of the skin as it lies on the stone, at the same time pressing arid leaning on it with all his weight. When one of the skins is finished, another is laid over it, and treated in the same manner ; and the others over that. The skins being thus prepared, are joined toge* ther, to form pieces of the size required for any particular purpose. In order to their joining properly, they are cut in- to a square, or rather oblong square form. To which end, a ruler or square is used, or the skins are placed on a table or block, corresponding in size and figure to a wooden print of the kind we shall have occasion to speak of below, and as xrmch of the skin is taken off, as leaves it of the form and dimensions of the table or block. Any defective parts, or holes in the skin, are then to be made good ; which is done by paring away with a penknife, half the thickness of the skin for some little space round the hole, or defective part; putting a patch, or correspondent piece of the same kind of skin over it. This patch, or piece, is to have a margin pared to have the thickness, to suit the pared part of the skin ; and is then to be fixed in its place, by means of size made of parchment, or gloves cuttings, in tjie manner described be- fore. After the skins are thus prepared, the next operation is the sizing them, which is done by means of a soft glue, or stiff size, that answers to the gold size, used in other kinds of gilding or silvering, prepared from parchment, or glovers cuttings. This is, in fact, the same with that directed to be used for joining the pieces ; only it must be reduced by a longev boiling to a thicker consistence, which should be that ^f a very stiff jelly. To size a skin or piece, the workman lakes a piece of the size of the bigness of a nut ; which, how- ever, he does not use whole, but cuts into two parts. With cr.e of these parts, he rubs all the skin, or piece of leather, strongly ; and when it is, by this means, spread over the whole surface of the leather, he rubs it with the palm of his hand to disperse it more equally, and uniformly over every part. To the effecting this end, the heat of the hand contri- butes as well as the motion : as it melts the size to a certain degree of fluidity, and renders it consequently more capable SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES, 137 of being diffused over the whole surface. The workman then leaves the skin for some time to dry, and afterwards spreads the other part of the size on it, in the same manner as the first; which finishes the operation of sizing. It is neccessary to allow some space of time betwixt the laying on the two parts of the size. For if the whole was laid on together ; or the first part before the other was dry to a certain degree, the whole would dissolve, and be forced forwards be- fore the hand, instead of being spread by it. In the prose- cution of this business, the workman therefore, as soon as he has spread the first part of the size, takes another skin, and treats it in the same manner ; which fills up the interval of time, proper for drying the first, he returns then to that, and puts on the other parts of the size, and by this alternative treatment of them, employs the whole of his time with- out any loss, by waiting till either be dry. The side of the skin on which the hair grew, or what is called the grain of the leather, is always chosen for receiving the size and silver. This is necessary to be observed : because that side is evener, and of a closer texture than the other. The skins, being thus sized, are ready for receiving the leaves of silver : which are thus laid on. The workman, who silvers them, stands be- fore a table ; on which he spreads two skins before they are dry after the sizing. On the same table, on the right hand, he puts also a large book of leaf silver on a board, which near one end of it has a peg sufficiently Jong to raise it in such manner, as to make it slope like a writing desk. The book being thus placed, he takes out one by one the leaves of silver, and lays them on the skin previously sized as above. This he does by means of a small pair of pincers, formed by two lit- tle rods of wood fastened together at one end, and glued to a small piece of wood cut into the form of a triangle, intend- ed to keep the ends of the two rods at a distance from each other ; and to make them answer the purpose, when pressed by the fingers, of taking hold of the leaves of silver. On the side of the piece in which the rods are joined to form the pin- cers, there is put a kind of tuft, or small brush, of an irregu- lar form, made of foxes, or any other kind of soft hair. With these pincers, the workman takes hold of one of the leaves in the book, and puts it on a piece of cartoon, larger than the leaf, of a figure nearly square ; and which has the cor- ners of the end, that is to be placed in the hand of the work- man, bent. This piece of cartoon is called a pallet. The workman takes it in his left hand, and, having put on it a leaf of silver, he^turns it downward ; and lets the leaf fail on the skin, spreading it as much as he can, and bringing, as near as possible, the sides of it, to be parallel to those of the square of leather, or skin. If it happen, that any part of it gets N 3 138 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES, double, or is not duly spread, he sets it right ; raises it some times, and puts it in its place, or rubs it gently with the kind of bru;h, or hair pencil which is at the end of the pincers. But most generally, the workman only lets the leaf fall in its place, spread out on the surface of the leather, without either touching or pressing it ; except in the case we shall mention below. After he has done with this leaf, he lays a new one in the same line, and continues the same till such line be com- plete. He then begins close to the edge of this row of leaves, and forms another in the same manner ; and goes on thus, till the whole skin be entirely covered with the leaf silver. This work is very easily and readily performed ; as the leaves, which are of a square form, are put on a plain surface, which is also rectangular. The skin being thus covered with the silver, the \vorkman, takes a fox's tail, made into the form of a ball at the end, and uses it to settle the leaves, by pressing and striking them, to make them adhere to the size, and adopt them- selves exactly to the places they are to cover. He afterwards rubs the whole surface gently with the tail, without striking, which is done to take off the loose and redundant parts of the silver, and at the same time to move them to those places of the surface, where there was before any defect of the silver ; and where, consequently, the size being bare, these will now take. The rest of the loose silver is brushed forwards to the end of the table, where a bag, or linen cloth is placed to re- ceive it. The skins, when they are thus silvered, are hung to dry on cords, fixed by the ends to opposite walls, at such height as to suspend the skins out of the way of the workman. To hang them on these cords, a kind of cross is used, formed of a strong stick, with a shorter piece of the same fixed cross- wise at the end of it ; over which the skin being hung ^with- out any doubling and with the silvered side outwards, it is con- veyed and transferred to the cord in the same state. The skins are to dry in this condition, a longer or shorter time, accord- Ing to the season and the weather. In summer, four or five hours is sufficient ; or those skins which have been silvered in the morning, may remain till the evening, and those in the evening, till next morning. But in winter a longer time is re- quired, according to the state of the weather. There is no occasion, nevertheless, to wait till they be entirely dry. As they may be put in any back yard or garden exposed to the wind, and the heat of the sun. For this purpose they should be put over two boards joined together, where they must be kept stretched out by means of some nails. But in this case, the silvered side must be next the boards, in order to prevent any dirt from falling on it, and sticking to the size, which would hinder their taking well the buuusfy that will be mentioned SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 133 below. The heat, and the dryness of the air, must deter- mine, also, the time of their hanging in this state; but, ex. perience alone can teach how to judge of this point. It is proper the skin should be free from moisture ; but yet, they should retain all their softness ; in summer this will happen In a few hours, and they will be then in a condition to be burnished. The burnisher which is used for this purpose, is a flint, of which various figures may be allowed, and which must be mounted differently with a handle, according to the difference of the figure. A cylindrical form is often chosen, in which case, one of the ends should be of a round figure, of about an inch and a half diameter, and have the surface ex- tremely smooth ; as the polishing is performed with this sur- face. The flint is fixed in the middle of a piece of wood of a foot length, the whole of which length is necessary to its serving as a handle ; or the workman takes hold of it at each end, with each of hh hands, those parts being round- ish, and the middle being left of a greater thickness, in order to admit of a hole of a proper depth for receiving the^ flint, so as to keep it quite firm and steady. All the art required in the manner of burnishing is, to rub the leaf silver strong- ly ; for which purpose, the workman applies both hands to the burnisher, dwelling longer on those parts which appear most dull. In order to perform this operation, the skin is pnt and spread even on a smooth stone of a requisite size, placed on a table, where it may be so firm and steady, as to bear all the force of pressure the workman can give in sliding the bur- nisher backwards and forwards over every part of the skin. It would save a great deal of labour to employ, instead ot this method of burnishing, that used by the polishers of glass, and also by the card makers. This method consists in fixing the burnisher at the of a strong crooked stick, of which, the other end is fastened to the ceiling. The stick being so dis- posed, as to act as a spring, of which the force bears on the skin, it exempts the workman from this part of the labour, and leaves him only that of sliding the burnishers along the skin, in the directions the polishing requires. The objections to this method are, that some parts of the skin require a grea ter pressure than others, and that sometimes dirt sticking to the size, which passes through the joining of the silver, will scratch the work, if the workman in going along did not see and remove it, which he cannot so well do in using the spring burnisher. But certainly, these inconveniencies have obvious remedies, when they are understood. The using the spring burnisher for the greatest part of the work, does not prevent taking the aid of the common one for finishing, if any parts, that appear imperfectly polished, shall render it necessary ; and the workman may well afford the trouble of examining H SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES, the skin, and cleansing it thoroughly, by the labour he will * save in this way ; or, perhaps, it is always best to do this of- fice, before any kind of polishing be begun, rather than to leave it to be done during the polishing. In some manufac- tures, the burnishing is performed, by passing the silvered skins betwixt two cylindrical rollers of steel, with polished faces. Jf this be well executed, it must give a considerable brilliance to the silver, and take away all those warpings and inequali- ties in the leather, which tend to render the silvered surface less equal and shining. The skins or leather, being thus sil- vered and burnished, are now prepared to receive the yellow Jaqucr or varnish, which gives the appearance of gilding. The perfection of this work depends, obviously, Tn a great degree, on the colour, and other qualities of the composition used as such varnish ; for which different artists in this way have dif- ferent recipes ; each pretending, in general, that his town is best, and making consequently a secret of it. The following is, however, at least equal to any hitherto used ; and may be prepared without any difficulty, except some little nicety in the boiling, *" Take of fine white resin four pounds and a half; of common resin the same quantity ; of gum sanda- rac two pounds and a half, and of aloes two pounds. Mix them together, after having bruised those which are in great pieces ; and put them into an earthen pot, over a good fire made of charcoal, or over any other fire where there is no flame. Melt all the ingredients in this, manner, stirring them well with a spatula, that they may be thoroughly mixed to- gether, and be prevented also from sticking to the bottom of the pot. When they are perfectly melted and mixed, add gradually to them, seven pints of linseed oil, and stir the whole well together with the spatula. Make the whole boil, stirring it all the time, to prevent a kind of sediment, that will form, from sticking to the bottom of the veesel. When the varnish is almost sufficiently boiled, add gradually, half an ounce of lithrage, or half an ounce of red lead ; and when they are dissolved, pass the varnish through a linen cloth, or flannel bag." The time of boiling such a quantity of varnish, may be in general about seven or eight hours. But as the force of the heat, and other circumstances, may vary, it does not per- mit of any precise rule. The means of judging of this, is by taking a little quantity out of the pot, with a silver spoon, or other such instrument, and touching it with the finger ; when, if the varnish appear, on cooling, of the consistence of a thick syrup, become soon after ropy, and then drying, glue the fingers together, and give a shining appearance ; it may be concluded, the time of boiling is sufficient. But if these signs are found wanting, the contrary must be inferred $ SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 141 and the boiling must be continued till they do arise. When the quantity of ingredients is diminished, the time of boiling may be also contracted. A pint of oil, and a correspondent proportion of fine resin and aloes, has produced a varnish perfectly good in an hour and a half. In this process, it is very necessary to have a pot, that will not be half filled with all the ingredients ; and also to guard with the greatest cau- tion against any flame coming near the top of the pot, or the vapour, which rises from it during the boiling. For it is of so combustible a nature, it would immediately take fire ; and the ingredients themselves would burn in such a manner, as would not only defeat the operation, but occasion the haz- ard of other inconveniences. The varnish thus prepared, at- tains a brown appearance ; but, when spread on silver, gives it a colour greatly similar to that of gold. Jf, however, it should not be found, after this proceeding, that the force of yellow was sufficiently strong, an addition of more aloes, must be made before the boiling be discontinued. Care must be taken, nevertheless, in doing this, not to throw in a large lump at once ; because such an effervescence is excited, in that case, as would endanger the varnish rising over the edge of the vessel, and producing a flame, that would instantly make the whole take fire. On the other hand, if the varnish seem too strong of the colour, sandaric must be added with the same precaution, which increasing the quantity of varnish, will dilute the colour. The laying the laquer, or varnish on the silvered leather, is performed in the open air : and should be done in summer, when it is hot and dry. It is thus performed : The skins are again to be stretched and fastened with nails to the same boards on which they were before fix- ed to complete the drying after the silvering ; but with this difference, that the silvered side must be outwards. Eighty or twenty skins may be treated thus at the same time ; there being two or three on each board. All the boards should be then ranged on tressels parallel to each other, in such manner, that all, both of them and the skins, may be close to each other. Every thing being thus prepared, the principal work- man spreads some of the white of eggs over each skin. The use of this is to fill up small inequalities in the surface of the skin ; and to prevent the varnish passing through the inter- stices of the silver, and being absorbed by the leather. Some omit this ; and with advantage, if these inconveniencies could be avoided without it ; as it renders the varnish more apt to crack and peel off the silver. But where it is omitted, the varnish should be of a thicker consistence ; the surface of the leather of a firm dense texture ; and the leaves of silver of a greater thickness than the common. When the white of eggs is dry ? the workman who lays on the varnish sets it on 142 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. the table before him in a pot ; being, as before directed, pret- ty near the consistence of a thick syrup. He then dips the four fingeis of one of his hands in the varnish ; and uses them as a pencil to spread it on the skin. In doing this, he holds the fingers at a small but equal distance from each other, and putting the ends of them on the skin near one of the edges of it ; and he then moves his hands so, that each finger paints a kind of 5 with the varnish, from one end of the skirt to the other. He afterwards dips his fingers again in the var- nisl}, and repeats the same operation again on the next part of the skin, till the whole be gone over in the same manner. This might be done with a pencil or proper brush ; but the workman finds the using the fingers only, to be the readiest method for distributing the varnish equally over the skin. After the varnish is thus laid on the skin, it is to be spread ; which is still done by the hand solely. The method is to rub the fiat of the open hand over every part of the skin on which the varnish has been put by the fingers, and by that means dif- fuse it evenly over every part. After this, it is to be immediate- ly beaten by strokes of the palms of the hands, which are to be frequently repeated on every part in general, but in a greater degree on those places where the varnish appears to lie thicker than on the rest ; and in doing this, both hands are, for dispatch, employed at the same time. When this opera- tion is finished, the skins are still to be left on the boards where they were stretched and nailed ; and those boards are, therefore, either continued till that time on the tressels where the varnish was put on the skin; or, if they be wanted for fresh skins, taken off, and fixed up against the wall of the place, or any other proper support. The time of drying depends of course on the heat of the sun and weather ; but at a sea- sonable time does not exceed a few hours. It is to be known, as to each particular parcel of skins, by examining them with the finger. If on touching them, they be found free from any stickiness, or, in the style of workmen, tacki- ness, or that the finger makes no impression on the varnish, they may be concluded sufficiently dry ; and the contrary, when they are found to be otherwise. This coat of varnish be- ing dry, the skins are to be again put on the tressels as before, and another coat laid on exactly in the same manner as the first. In doing this, examination must be made, whether any of the skins appear stronger or weaker coloured than the oth- ers; in order that the defect may be now remedied, by making this coat thicker or thinner, as may appear necessary. When this coat is dry, the varnishing for producing the appearance of gilding is completed ; and if it has been well performed, the leather will have a very fine gold colour, with a consider- able degree of polish or brightness. When there is an inten- SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 143 tion to have one part of the leather silver, and the other gold, a pattern is formed on the surface, by printing, chalking, or stamping a design on the surface after the silvering. The skin is then to be varnished, as if the whole were intended to be gold ; but after the last coat, instead of drying the varnish, it is to be immediately taken off that part which is intended to be silver, according to the design printed or chalked upon it, by a knife ; with which the workman scrapes off '11 that he can without injuring the silver, and afterwards by a linen cloth, with which all that remains is endeavoured to be wiped or rubbed off. The skins, being thus silvered and varnished, are made the ground of various designs for embossed work and painting. The embossed worker relief is raised by means of printing with a rolling press, such as is used for copper plates ; but the design is here to be engraved on wood. The painting may be of any kind ; but oil is principally used, as being durable and most easily performed. There is nothing more necessary in this case, than in painting on other grounds, except that, where varnish or water is used,the surface be clean from any oily or greasy matter. 429. Sy mpathetic powder. The composition of the famous sympathetic powder, used at Gossilaer by the miners in all their wounds, is this. Take of green vitriol, eight ounces ; of gum tragacanth, reduced to an impalpable powder, one ounce : mix these together, and let a small quantity of the powder be sprinkled on the wound, and it immediately stops bleeding. The vitriol is to be calcined to .whiteness in the sun, before it is mixed with the gum. 430. The virtues of a crust of bread y eat in a morning fasting ; published by an eminent physician. In the above treatise, (which sells for 3s, 9d ) the author only asserts, that a great many obstinate disorder*:, are cured by this simple remedy ; and gives many instances of its^great efficacy in thefollowing cases, viz. king's evil, cachexies, scur- vies, leprosies, rheumatic complaints, &c. The author orders about half an ounce of hard crust, or sea biscuit, to be eat every morning fasting, for five or six weeks ; and nothing to be taken after it in less than three or four hours. 431. To purify butter^ and make it of a most sweet taste, Melt butter with a slow fire in a well glazed earthen vessel which put to fair water, working them well together, and when it is cold take away the curds and the whey at the bot* H4 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. torn. Do it again the second time, and if you please, the third time in rose-water, always working them very well to- gether. The butter thus clarified will be as sweet in taste, as the marrow of any beast, and keep a long time, by reason of the great impurity which is removed by this means, the dros being near a quarter of the whole. 432. To whiten wax. Melt it in a pipkin without boiling. Then take a wood- en pestle, which steep in the wax two fingers deep, and plunge immediately into cold water to loosen the wax from it, which will come off like sheets of paper. When you have got all your wax out of the pipkin and made into flakes, put it on a clean towel, and expose it in the air on the grass till it is white. Then melt it and strain it through, a muslin to take all the dirt out of it, if there be any. 433. To make white green ivory. Boil the Ivory in water and quick lime, till you see it of a good colour. 434. Fine Glue. Ising-glass and common glue soaked over night in good brandy ; then dissolve them over a cool fire, and mix with it a Jittle powdered chalk. 435. Tortoise shell of horn. Take good aquafortis, two ounces fine silver, one drachm ; let the silver dissolve, and, after you have spotted your horn with wax, strike the solution all over it, let it dry of itself, the colour will be brown or black. 435. A mixture which may be used for making impres sions of any kind, and will grow as hard as a stone. Take fine clean sifted ashes, and fine piaister of paris, of each an equal quantity ; and temper the mixture, with parch- ment and in this case, instead of glazing with the shell-lac varnish, the upper or polishing coats need only be used, as they will equally receive and convey the tinge of the Indian lake, which may be actually dissolved by spirits of wine, and this will be found a much cheaper method, than the using carmine. If, however, the highest degree of brightness is required, the white, varnish must be used. 4?:5T. Yellow Japan Grounds. For bright yellow grounds, king's yellow, or turpeth min- eral, should be employed, either alone or mixed with fine Dutch pink, and the effect may be still more heightened, by dissolving powdered turmeric root in tire spirits of wine, of which the upper or polishing coat is made, which spirits of wine must be strained from off the dregs before the seed-lac be added to it, to form the varnish. The seed-lac varnish is not equally injurious here, and with greens, as is the case of other colours ; because, being only tinged with a reddish yellow, it is little more than an addi- tion to the force of the colours. Yellow grounds may be likewise formed of Dutch pink only, which, when good, will not be wanting in brightness, though extremely cheap. 458. Green Japan Grounds. Green grounds may be produced by mixing king's yellow and bright Prussian-blue, or rather turpeth mineral and Prus- sian-blue. And a cheap, but fouler kind by verdigris, with a little of the above mentioned yellows, or Dutch pink. But where a very bright green is wanted, the crystals of verdigris, called distilled verdigris, should be employed ; and to height- en the effect, they should be laid on a ground of leaf gold, which renders the colour extremely brilliant and pleasing. 459* Orange Japan Grounds. Orange coloured japan grounds may be formed by raising SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES, 1 51 vermilion, or red lead, with king's yellow, or Dutch pink, or the orange lake, which will make a brighter orange ground than can be produced by any mixture. 460. Purple Japan Grounds. Purple japan grounds may be produced by the mixture of lake and Prusbian-blue ; of a darker kind, by vermilion and Prussian-blue. They may be treated as the rest, with respect to the varnish. 461. Black Japan Grounds "without heat. Black grounds may be formed by either ivory black, or lamp black ; but the former is preferable where it is perfect- ly good. These may always be laid on with shell-lac var- nish ; and have their upper or polishing coats of common seed-lac varnish, as the tinge or foulness of the varnish can here be HO injury. 462. Common Black Japan Grounds on Iron or Cop" per 9 produced by means of heat. For forming the black japan grounds by means of heat, the piece of work to be japanned must be painted over with dry- ing oil, and a little lamp black ; and when it is of a moderate dryness, must be exposed to such a degree of heat, as will change the oil to black, without burning so as to destroy or weaken its tenacity. The stove should not be too hot when the work is put into it, nor the heat increased too fast, either of which errors would make it blister; but the slower the heat is augmented, and the longer it is continued, provided it be restrained within the due degree, the harder will be the coat of japan. This kind of varnish requires no polish, hav- ing received, when properly managed, a sufficient one from the heat. 463. The fine Tortoise-shell Japan Ground \ produced by means of heat. The best kind of tortoise-shell ground produced by heat is not less valuable for its great hardness, and enduring to be made hotter than boiling water without damage, than for its beautiful appearance. It is to be made by means of a varnish prepared in the following manner :* Take of good linseed-oil one gallon, and of umber half a pound; boil them together till the oil become very brown and thick ; strain it through a coarse cloth, and set it again to boil ; in which state it must be continued till it acquire a pitchy consistence, when it will be fit for use, 1*2 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. Having thus prepared the varnish, clean well the iron or copper plate, or other pieces which are to be japanned, and then lay vermilion tempered with shell-lac varnish, or with drying oil diluted with oil of turpentine, very thinly, on the places intended to imitate the more transparent parts of the tortoise-shell. When the vermilion is dry, brush over the whole with the black varnish, tempered to a true consistence with oil of turpentine ; and when it is set and firm, put the work into a stove, where it may undergo a very strong heat, and must be continued a considerable time ; if even three weeks or a month, it will be the better. This was given amongst other receipts by KUNCKEL ; but appears to have been neglected till it was revived with great success in the Birmingham manufactures, where it was not only the ground of snuff boxes, dressing boxes, and other such lesser pieces ; but of those beautiful tea waiters vvhich have been so justly esteemed and admired in several parts of Eu- rope, where they have been sent. This ground may be dec- orated with painting and gilding, in the same manner as any other varnished surface, which had best be done after the ground has been duly hardened by the hot stove ; but it will be best to give a second annealing with a more gentle heat v after it is finished. 464-. Manner of varnishing Japan Work* The finishing of japan work lies in the laying on, and pol- ishing, the outer coats of varnish which are necessary, as well in the pieces that have only one simple ground of colour, as with those that are painted. This is in general done best with common seed-lac varnish, except in the instances, and on those occasions, where we have already shewn other methods to be more expedient ; and the same reasons which decide as to the fitness or impropriety of the varnishes, with respect to the colours of the ground, hold equally with regard to those of the painting. For where brightness is the mo*t material point, and a tinge of yellow will injure it, seed-lac must give way to the whiter gums ; but where hardness, and a greater tenacity, are most essential, it must be adhered to ; and where both are so necessary, that it is proper one should give way to the other in a certain degree reciprocally, a mixed varnish must be adopted. This mixed varnish, as we have already observed, should be made of the picked seed-lac. The common seed-lac var- nish, which is the most useful preparation of the kind hith- erto invented, may be thus made : Take of seed-lac three ounces, and put it into water, to free it from the sticks and filth that are frequently intermix- SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 153 ed with it ; and which must be done by stirring it about, and then pouring off the water, and adding fresh quantities, in order to repeat the operation, till it be freed from all impu- rities, as is very effectually done by this means. Dry it then, and powder it grossly, and put it, with a pint of rectified spirit of wine, into a bottle, of which it will not fill above two thirds. Shake the mixture well together, and place the bottle in a gentle heat, till the seed-lac appears to be dissol- ved ; the shaking being in the mean time repeated as often as ray be convenient : and then pour off all that can be ob- tained clear by this method, and strain the remainder thro* a coarse clothe The varnish thus prepared must be kept for use in a bottle well stopped. When the spirit of wine is very strong, it will dissolve x greater proportion of the seed-lac ; but this quantity will saturate the common, which is seldom of a strength sufficient to make varnishes in perfection. As the chilling, which is the most inconvenient accident attending varnishes of this kind, is prevented, or produced more frequently, according to- the strength of the spirit ; we shall therefore take this opportu- nity of shewing a method by which weaker rectified spirits may with great ease at any time be freed from the phlegm, and rendered of the first degree of strength. Take a pint of the common rectified spirit of wine, and put it into a bottle, of which it will not fill above three parts ; add to it half an ounce of pearl-ashes, salt of tartar, or any other alkaline salt, heated red hot, and powdered as well as it can be without much loss of its heat. Shake the mixture frequently for the space of half an hour ; before which time, a great part of the phlegm will be separated from the spirit, and will appear, together with the undissolved part of the salts, in the bottom of the bottle. Let the spirit be poured off, or freed from the phlegm and the salts, by means of a tritorium, or separating funnel j and let half an ounce of the pearl-ashes, heated and powdered as before, be added to it, and the same treatment repeated. This may be done a third time, if the quantity of phlegm separated by the addition of the pearl-ashes appear considerable. An ounce of alum re- duced to powder, and made hot, but not burnt, must then be put into the spirit, and suffered to remain some hours, the bottle being frequently shaken ; after which the spirit being poured off from it, will be fit for use. The addition of the alum is necessary to neutralize the re- mains of the alkaline salt, which would otherwise greatly dc- pfave the spirit, with respect to varnishes and lacquer where vegetable colours are concerned, and must consequently rea- per another distillation necessary. The manner of using the eed-lacj or white varnish, is th$ 154 SECRETS IN ARTS same, except with regard to the sub tancc which, where a pure white of a great clea* v ?s ours is in question, should be itself white; \,.- u c.ie browner jortb of polishing dust, a-i being cheaper, and cicHg their business with greater dispatch, may be u ed in ctner eases. The pieces of work to be varni hed, should be placed near a fire, or in a room where there is a stove, and made per-" fectly dry ; and then the varnish may be rubbed over them by the proper brushes made for that purpose, beginning in the middle, and passing the brush to one end, and then with another stroke from the middle, passing it to the other. But no part should be crossed, or twice passed over, in forming' one coat, where it can be possibly avoided. When one coat is dry, another must be laid over it ; and this must be con- tinued at least five or six times, or more, if, on trial, there be not sufficient thickness of varnish to bear the polish, without laying hare the painting or ground colour underneath. When a sufficient number^of coats is thus laid on, the work is fit to be polished ; which must be done, in common cases, by rubbing it with a rag, dipped in tripoli,. or rotten-stone, finely powdered ; but, towards the end of the rubbing, a lit- tle oil of any kind should be used along with the powder ; and when the work appears sufficiently bright and glossy, it should be well rubbed with the oil alone^ to clean it from the powder, and give it a still brighter lustre. In case of white grounds, instead of tripoli, or rotten stone, fine putty, or whiting, must be used ; both of which should be washed over, to prevent the danger of damaging the work, from any sand or gritWy matter that may happen to be mixed with them. It is a great improvement in all kinds of japan work, to harden the varnish by means of heat ; which in every degree that it can be applied, short of what would burn or calcine the matter, tends to give it a more firm and strong texture. Where metal forms the body, a very hot stove may be use- ed ; and the pieces of work may be continued in it a consid- erable time, especially if the heat be gradually increased ; but where wood is in question, heat must be sparingly used, as it would otherwise warp or shrink the body, so as to injure the general figure. 465. MANUFACTURE OF GLASS. * This beautiful material is not of modern invention ; it was known to the ancient Romans, but it was by no means com- mon among them, and they do not appear to have had the method of forming it into vessels of various shapes as is practised at present. SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 155 Glass is made by fusing together silex and potash, or soda, in proper proportions. Sea sand, which consists almost en- tirely of quartz and flints reduced to powder, is generally used for this purpose. The alkali is generally procured from the burning of sea weeds; these are cut, dried, and burned in pits dug in the ground ; after a sufficient quantity of them have burned in the same pit, a melted or liquid mass is found in the bottom, which, after being well stirred, is suffered to cool ; it is then called kelp, aad consists of a mixture of soda, potash, and parts of half burnt weeds, together with shells, sand, and other impurities. When the ingredients of which glass is composed are per- fectly fused, and have acquired a certain degree of heat, which is known by the fluidity of the mass, part of the melted mat- ter is taken out at the end of a long hollow tube, which is dipped'into it, and turned about, till a sufficient quantity is taken up ; the workman then rolls it gently upon a piece of iron, to unite it more intimately. He then blows through the tube, till the melted mass at the extremity swells into a bub- ble, after which he rolls it again on a smooth surface to pol- ish it, and repeats the blowing, until the glass is brought as near the size and form of the vessel required as Jie thinks necessary. If it be a common bottle, the melted glass at the end of the tube is put into a mould of the exact size and shape of its body, and the neck is formed on the outside, by drawing out the ductile glass. If it be a vessel with a wide orifice, the glass in its melted slate is opened and widened with an iron tool ; after which being again heated, it is whirled about with a circular motion, and by means of the centrifugal force thus produced, is ex- tended to the size required. Should a handle, foot, or any thing eke of the kind, be required, these are made separately, and stuck on in its melted state. Window Glats is made in a similar manner, except that the liquid mass at the end of the tube is formed into a cylindrical shape, which being cut longitudinally by scissars or sheers, is gradually bent back until it becomes a flat plate. Large plate glass, for looking glasses, &c. is made by suf- fering the mass in a state of complete fusion to flow upon a table, with iron ledges to confine the melted matter, and as it cools, a metallic roller is passed over it, to reduce it to an uniform thickness. There are various kinds of glass manu- factured for different purposes ; the principal of these are flint glass, crown glass, and bottle green. Flint glass is the densest, most transparent, colourless, and beautiful. It is sometimes called crystal. The best kind is .sgutf to be manufactured in London, from 120 parts of white 156 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. siliceous sand, 40 parts of pearl-ash, 35 of red oxydeof lead, 13 of nitrate of potash, and 25 of black oxyde of manganese. It is the most fusible glass. It is used for bottles, and other utensils, intended to be cut and polished, and for various or- namental purposes. Crown glass differs from the last, in containing no lead. It is made of soda and fine sand. It is used for panes of windows, &c. Bottle glass is the coarsest sort of all. It is made from kelp and common sand. Its green colour is owing to iron. It is the least fusible. Glass is sometimes coloured by mixing with it while in a fluid state, various metallic oxydes. It is coloured blue, by the oxyde of cobalt ; red, by the oxyde of gold ; green, by the oxyde of copper or iron ; yellow^ by the oxyde of silver or antimony, and violet by the oxyde of manganese The hardness of glass i. : ; very considerable ; its specific gravity varies from 2, s to 4, according to the quantity of metallic oxyde which enters into ite composition. Though glass, when cold, is brittle, it is one of the most ductile bo- dies known. When liquid, if a thread of melted glass be drawn out, and fastened to a reel, the whole of the glass can be spun off; and by cutting the threads of a certain length, there is obtained a sort of feather of glass. A thread of glass may be thus drawn or spun so fine, as to be scarcely visible to the naked eye. Glass is almost perfectly elastic, and is one of the most sonorous bodies. Fluoric acid dissolves it at com- mon temperatures, and alkalis in a great degree of heat. These are the only substances known which act upon it. Glass utensils require to be gradually cooled in an oven : this operation is called annealing, and is necessary to prevent their breaking by change of temperature, wiping, or slight accidental scratches. Two toys are made of unannealed glass, which, though commonly used for the amusement of children, exhibit phe- nomena which justly interest the curiosity of the philosopher ; we mean Prince RUPERT'S drops, and the Bologna flask, or philosophical phial. Prince Rupert's drops are made, by letting drops of melted glass fall into cold water : the drop assumes by that means an oval form, with a tail or neck resembling a retort. These drops are said to have been first invented by Prince RUPERT, and are therefore called by his name. They posses3 this sin- gular property, that if a small portion of the tail is broken off, the whose burst? into powder, with an explosion ; and a considerable shock is communicated to the hand that grasps it. The Bologna or philosophical pbial, is a small vessel of glass, which has been suddenly cooled, open at the upper end, and SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES- 157 rounded at the bottom. It is made so thick at the bottom, that it will bear a smart blow against a hard body, without breaking ; but if a little pebble, or piece of flint, is let fall in- to it, it immediately cracks, and the bottom falls into pieces: but unless the pebble or flint is large and angular enough to scratch the surface of the glass, it will not break. The most generally received explanation of these facts is founded on the assumption, that the dimensions of those bo- dies which are suddenly cooled, are larger than those which are more gradually cooled. The dimensions, therefore, of the smooth external surface of these glasses which are sud- denly cooled, are supposed to be larger than is adapted to the accurate enveJopement of the internal part, which is ne- cessarily cooled in a more gradual manner ; if, therefore, by a crack or scratch, a disjunction of the cohesion takes place, in the internal surface, the hidden action of the parts which remained in a state of tension, to recover that of perfect co- hesion, is supposed to effect the destruction of the mass. 466. SPEWING. The art of brewing, or of preparing a vinous fermented li- quor from faiinaceous seeds, is very ancient. It was known to the ancient Egyptians, Germans, Spaniards, Gauls, and the inhabitants of the British Isles, and the north of Europe. The liquor made by them, however, resembled more our sweet and mucilaginous ales, the use of hops being of modern invention. The vinous fermentation cannot be produced without sac^ charine matter ; and any substance containing sugar is capa- ble of producing ardent spirit, or alkohol. Bariey is a grain consisting of fecula or starch, albumen* and a little gluten ; and by the process of malting, its fecula is converted into sugar : hence it affords a convenient mate- rial for the production of alkoho!, which is the substance that gives the intoxicating quality to every liquor. Maltingy or the converting barley into malt, is the first pro* cess in the making of beer. To efftct this, the grain is put into a trough with water, to steep for about three days: it Is then laid in heaps, to let the water drain from it, and after- wards turned over and laid in new heaps. In this state, the same process takes place a.i if the barley were sown in the ground. It begins to germinate, puts forth a shoot, and the fecula of the seed is converted into saccharine matter. When this is sufficiently accomplished, which is known by the length of the shoot, (about two-thirds of the length of the grain,) this process of germination must be stopped, otherwise the sugar would be lost, nature intending it for the nourishment P 1 58 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. of the young plant. The malt is therefore spread out upon a floor, and frequently turned over, which cools it, and dries up its moisture, without which the germination cannot pro- ceed. When it is completely dried, in this manner, it is call- ed air dried malt, and is very little altered in colour. But when it is dried in kilns, it acquires a brownish colour, which is deeper in proportion to the heat applied ; it is then called kiln dried. This malt is then coarsely ground in a mill. Mashing is the next step in the process of brewing. This is performed in a large circular wooden vessel, called the mash tun, shallow in proportion to its extent, and furnished with a false bottom, pierced with small holes, and fixed a few inch- es above the real bottom. There are two side openings, in the interval between the real and false bottom : to one is fix- ed a pipe, for the purpose of conveying water into the tun, and the other for drawing the liquor out of it. The malt is to be strewed evenly over the false bottom of the same tun, and then, by means of the side pipe, a proper quantity of hot water is introduced from the upper copper. The water rises upwards through the malt, or as it is called the grist, and \vben the whole quantity is introduced, the mashing begins, the object of which is to effect a perfect mixture of the malt with the water, so that the soluble parts may be extracted by it : for this purpose, the grist is sometimes incorporated with the water by iron rakes, and then the mass is beaten and agi- tated by long flat wooden poles, resembling oars, which are either worked by the hand or by machinery. When the mashing is completed, the tun is covered in, to prevent the escape of the heat, and the whole is suffered to remain still, in order that the insoluble parts may separate from the liquor : the side is then opened, and the clear wort allowed te run off, slowly at first, but more rapidly as it be- comes fine, into the lower or boiling copper. The chief thing to be attended to in mashing, is the tem- perature of the mash, which depends on the heat of the water, and the state of the malt. If the water was let in upon the grist boiling hot, the starch which it contains would be dis- solved, and converted into a gelatinous substance, in which all the other parts of the malt, and most of the water, would be entangled beyond the possibility of being recovered by any after process. The most eligible temperature appears to be from 185 to 190 of Fahrenheit ; for the first mashing, the heat of the wa- ter must be somewhat below thL> temperature, and lower in proportion to the dark co ; our of the malt made use of. For pale malt the water may be 180, but foi brown it ought not to be more than 170. The liquor or wort (as it is called,) of tke first mashing is SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. l& always by much the richest in saccharine matter ; but to ex haust the malt, a second and third mashing is required, in which the water may be safely raised to 190 or upwards. The proportion of wort to be obtained from each bushel of malt, depends entirely on the proposed strength of the li- quor. It is said that 25 or 30 gallons of good table beer may be taken from each bushel of malt. For ale and porter of the superior kinds, only the produce of the first mashing, or six or eight gallons, is to be employed. Brewers make use of an instrument called a sacchrometer* to ascertain the strength and goodness of the wort. This in- strument is a kind of hydrometer, and shews the specific gravity of the wort, rather than the exact quantity of sacch- arine matter which it contains. The next process in brewing is the boiling and bopping. If only one kind of liquor is made, the produce of the three mashings is to be mixed together ; but if ale and table beer are required, the wort of the first, or first and second mash- ings is appropriated to the ale, and the remainder is set aside for the beer. All the wort destined for the same liquor, after it has run from the tun, is transferred to the large lower copper, and mixed with a certain proportion of hops. The better the wort, the more hops are required. In private families a pound of hops is generally used to every bushel of malt ; but in public breweries, a much smaller proportion is deemed sufficient. When ale and table beer are brewed from the same malt, the usual practice is to put the whole quantity of hops in the ale wort, which having been boiled some time, are to be transferred to the beer-wort, and with it to be again boiled. AY hen the hops are mixed with the wort in the copper, the liquor is made to boil, and the best practice is to keep it boil- ing as fast as possible, till upon taking a little of the liquor- out, it is found to be full of small flakes like that of curdled soap. The boiling copper is in common breweries uncover- ed; but in many, on a large scale, it is fitted with a steam- tight cover, from the centre of which passes a pipe, that ter- minates by several branches in the upper or mashing copper. The steam therefore produced by the boiling, instead of be* ing wasted, is let into the cold water, and thus raises it very nearly to the temperature required for mashing, besides im- pregnating it very sensibly with the essential oil of the hops, in which the flavour resides. When the liquor is boiled, it is discharged into a number of coo/ers, or shallow tubs, in which it remains until it becomes sufficiently cool to be submitted to fermentation. It is neces- sary that the process of cooling should be carried on as ex-- 160 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. peditiously as possible, particularly in hot weather; and for this reason, the coolers in the brew-houses are very shallow. JLiquor made from pale malt, and which is intended for im- mediate drinking, need not be cooled lower than 75 or 80 ; of course this kind of beer may be brewed in the hottest weather ; but beer brewed from brown malt, and intended to be kept, must be cooled to 65 or 70 before it i put into a state of fermentation. Hence in the spring, the month of .March, and in autumn, the month of October, have been deemed the mo^t favourable for the manufacture of the best ma)t liquor. The la t operations in brewing are the tunning and barre!- Jing. From the coolers the liquors is to be transferred into the working tun, and with it is to be mixed a gallon of yeast to four barrels of beer, in order to excite the vinous fermen- tation. In four or five hours the fermentation begins, and it requires frcm 18 or 20 hours to 48, before the wort is fit to be put into the barrels. In the barrels the fermentation again goes on, and, during a few day*, a copious discharge of yeast takes place from the bung hole ; when care must be taken that the barrels are filled every day with fresh liquor: this discharge gradually becomes less, and in about a week it ceases : in which time the bung hole is closed, and the liquor is fit for use after it has stood a certain time, according to its strength, and the temperature at which it ha > been fermented. For ales-) the paler kinds of malt are u c ed, and little hops, as they are required not to taste bitter. But for porter*, the brown malts are used, and a larger quantity of hops. It is bad economy to use malts that are very highly dried, as the deepening of the colour is owing to a part of the saccharine matter being carbonized. A dark colour may be procured more economically by burnt sugar. Hops are added to ale or beer, because they afford a resinous, aromatic matter, \vhich is requisite to correct insipidity and sweetness, and to render the liquor capable of preservation for a due length of time. It is in Great Britain prohibited by law to. use any substance in brewing, as a substitute for hops. 467. DYEING. Principles of Dyeing. The substances commonly employed for clothing may be reduced to four, viz. wool, silk, cotton, and linen. Permanent alterations in the colour of cloth can only be induced two ways ; either by producing a chemical change in the cloth, or by covering its fibres with some substance which possesses the wished for colour. Recourse can seldom or never to be had tr the first method, because it is hardly po^ible to produce a chemical change in the fibres of cloth SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 161 without spoiling its texture and render: less. The dyer, therefore, when he wishes to givv a new co-our to cloth, has always recourse to the second metl, The substances employed for this purpose are callod col* tiring matters, or dye stuffs. They are for the most part ex- tracted from animal and. vegetable substances, and have usu- ally the colour which they intend to give to the cloth. Since the particles of colouring matter with which clot.h when dyed is covered, are transparent, it follows, that all the light reflected from dyed cloth must be reflected, not by the dye stuff itself, but by the fibres of the cloth below the dye stuff. The colour therefore does not depend upon the dye alone, but abo upon the previous colour of the cloth. If the cloth be blacky it is clear that we cannot dye it any other colour whatever ; because as no light in that case is reflected, none can be transmitted, whatever dye stuff we employ. If the eloth were red, or blue, or yellow, we could not dye it any v colour except black ; because, as only red, or blue, or yellow rays were reflected, no other could be transmitted. Hence the importance of a fine white colour, when cloth is to re- ceive bright dyes. It then reflects all the rays in abundance, and therefore any colour may be given, by covering it with a dye stuff which transmits only.some particular rays. If the colouring matters were merely spread over the sur- face of the fibres of cloth by the dyer, the colours produced .might be very bright, but they could not be permanent ; be- cause the colouring matter would be very soon rubbed off; and would totally disappear whenever the cloth was washed, or even barely exposed to the weather. The colouring mat~ ter then, however perfect a colour it possesses, is of no value, unless it also adheres so firmly to the cloth that none of the substances usually applied to cloth, in order to clean it* c. can displace it. Now this can only happen, when there is a strong affinity between the colouring matter and the cloth, and when they are actually combined together in consequence of that affinity. Dyeing then is merely a chemical process, and consists in combining a certain colouring matter with fibres of cloth. This process can in no instance be performed, unless the dye stuff be first reduced to its integrant particles ; for the attrac- tion of aggregation between the particles of dye stuffs, is too great to be overcome by the affinity between them and the cloth, unless they could be brought within much smaller dis- tances than is possible while they both remain in a solid form* It is necessary, therefore, previously to dissolve the colouring matter in some liquid or other, which has a weaker affinity for it than the cloth has. When the cloth is dipped into this solution, the colouring matter, reduced by this contrivance 3? & 162 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. to a liquid state, is brought within the attracting distance ; the cloth therefore acts upon it, and from its stronger affinity takes it from the solvent, and fixes it upon itself. By this contrivance too, the equality of the colour is in some mea- sure secured, a? every part of the cloth has an opportunity of attracting to itself the proper proportion of colouring particles. The facillity with which cloth imbibes a dye, depends up- on two things ; viz. the affinity between the cloth and the dye stuff, and the affinity between the dye stuff and its sol- vent. It is directly as the former, and inversely as the latter. It 13 of importance to preserve a due proportion between these two affinities, as upon that proportion much of the ac- curacy of dyeing depends. If the affinity between the col- ouring matter and the cloth be too great, compared with the affinity between the colouring matter and the solvent, the cloth will take the dye too rapidly, and it will be scarcely possible to prevent its colour from being unequal. On the other hand, if the affinity between the colouring matter and the solvent be too great, compared with that between the colouring matter and the cloth, the cloth will either not take the colour at all, or it will take it very slowly and very faintly. Wool has the strongest affinity for almost all colouring matters, silk the next strongest, cotton a considerably weak- r affinity, and linen the weakest affinity of all. Therefore, in order to dye cotton or linen, the dye stuff should in many cases be dissolved in a substance for which it has a weaker affinity than for the solvent employed in the dyeing of wool or silk. Thus we may use oxyde of iron dissolved in sulphu- ric acid, in order to jive wool ; but for cotton and linen, it Is better to dissolve^Rn acetous acid. Were it possible to procure a sufficient number of colour- ing matters, having a strong affinity for cloth, to answer alt the purposes of dyeing, that art would be exceedingly simple and easy. But this is by no means the case ; if we except in- digo, the dyer is scarcely possessed of a dye stuff winch yields of itself a good colour, sufficiently permanent to deserve the mame of a dye. This difficulty, which at first sight appears insurmountable, Las been obviated by a very ingenious contrivance. Some substance is pitched upon, which has a strong affinity, both for the cloth and the colouring matter. This substance is previously combined with cloth, which is then dipped into the solution containing the dye stuff. The dye stuff COUK bines with the intermediate substance, which being firmly combined with the cloth, secures the permanence of the dye. Substances employed for this purpose are denominated rnor* SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 1C3 The most important part of dyeing is undoubtedly the proper choice, and the proper application of mordants, as upon them, the permanency of almost every dye depends. Every thing which has been said respecting the application of colouring matters, applies equally to the application of mor- dants. They must be previously dissolved in some liquid, which has a weaker affinity to them than the cloth has, to which they are to be applied ; and the cloth must be dipped, or even steeped in this solution, in order to saturate itself with the mordant. Almost the only substances used as mordants, are earths* metallic oxydes, tan, and oil. Of earthy mordants the most important, and mo^t gener- ally used, is alumine. It is used either in the state of com- mon alum/ in which it is combined with sulphuric acid, or in that of acetite of alumine. Alum, when used as a mordant, is dissolved in water, and very frequently a quantity of tartar is dissolved along with it. Into this solution the cloth is put, and kept in it till it has absorbed as much alumine as is necessary. It is then taken, out, and for the most part washed and dried. It is now a good deal heavier than it was before, owing to the alumine which has combined with it. The tartar serves two purpos- es ; the potash which it contains, combine? with the sulphu^ ric acid of the alum, and thus prevents that very corrosive substance from injuring the texture of the cloth, which otrn erwise might happen: the tartareous acid, on the other hand, combines with part of the alumine, and forms a tartrite of alumine, which is more easily decomposed by the cloth thai* alum. Acetite of alumine has been but lately introduced into dye** ing. This mordant is now prepared by pouring acetite o lead into a solution of alum ; a double decomposition takes place, the sulphureous acid combines with the lead, and the compound precipitates, in the form of an insoluble powder, while the alumine combines with 'the acetous acid, and re- mains dissolved in the liquid. This mordant is employed for cotton and linen, which have a weaker affinity than wool for alumine. It answers much better than alum ; the cloth is more easily saturated with alumine, and takes, in conse- quence, both a richer and a more permanent colour. Besides alumine, lime is sometimes used as a mordant, Cloth has a strong affinity enough for it ; but, in general, it does not answer so well, as it does not give so good a colour. "When used, it is either in the state of lime-water, or of sul* phate of lime dissolved in water. Almost all the metallic oxydes have an affinity for cloth, but only two of them are extensively used as. mordants, viz,, the oxydes of tin ; and of iroa. l C4 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES, *The oxyde of tin was first introduced into dyeing by Kus- TER, a German chemist, who brought the secret to London iir 1543. This period forms an asra in the history of dyeing. The oxyde of tin has enabled the moderns greatly to surpass the ancients in the fineness of their colours ; by means of it alone, scarlet, the brightest of ail colours, is produced. Tin, as PROUST has proved, is capable of two degrees of oxydation. The first oxyde is composed of 0.70 parts of tin, and 0.30 of oxygen ; the second, or white oxyde, of 0.60 parts of tin, and 0.40 Of oxygen. The first oxyde absorbs oxygen with very great facility, even from the air, and is rap- idly converted into white oxyde. This fact makes it certain, that it is the white oxyde of tin alone, which is the real mor- dant ; even if the other oxyde were applied to cloth, as it probably often is, it must soon be converted into white oxyde, by absorbing oxygen from the atmosphere. Tin is used as a mordant in three states : dissolved in nitro muriatic acid, in acetous acid, and in a mixture of sulphuric and muriatic acids. Nitro muriate of tin is the common mordant employed by dyers. They prepare it by dissolving tin in diluted nitric acid, to which a certain proportion of muriate of soda, or of ammonia, is added. Part of the nitric acid decomposes the. ; e salts, combines with their base, and sets the muriatic acid at liberty. They prepared it at first with nitric acid alone, but that mode was very defective, be- cause the nitric acid very readily converts tin to white oxyde, and then is capable of dissolving it. The consequence of which was, the precipitation of the whole of the tin. To remedy this defect, common salt, or sal ammoniac, was very soon added ; muria|k acid having the property of dissolving white oxyde of tin very readily. A considerable saving of nitric acid might be obtained, by employing as much sulphu- ric acid as is just sufficient to saturate the base of the com- mon salt, or sal ammoniac employed. When the nitro muriate of tin is to be used as a mordant, it is dissolved in a large quantity of water, and the cloth is dipped in the solution, and allowed to remain till sufficient- ly saturated. It is then taken out, washed, and dried. Tar- tar is usually dissolved in the water along with the nitro mu- riate. The consequence of this is a double decomposition, the nitro muriatic acid combines with the potash of the tar- tar, while the tartareous acid dissolves the oxyde of tin, When tartar is used, therefore, in any considerable quantity, the mordant is not a nitro muriate, but a tartrite of tin. * Iron, like tin, is capable of two degrees of oxydation ; but the green oxyde absorbs oxygen so readily from the atmos- phere, that it is very soon converted into the red oxyde. It is only this last oxyde which is really used as a mordant in. SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. MS dyeing. The green oxyde is, indeed, sometime'? applied to cloth ; but it very soon absorbs oxygen, and is converted in- to the red oxyde. This oxyde has a very strong affinity for all kinds of cloth. The permanency of the iron spots on lin- en and cotton is a sufficient proof of this. As a mordant, it is used in two states ; in that of sulphate of iron, and acetite of iron. The first is commonly used for wool. The salt is dissolved in water, and the cloth dipped in it. It may be used also for cotton, but in most ca?es acetite of iron is pre ferred. It is prepared by dissolving iron, or its oxyde, in vinegar, sour beer, &c and the longer it is kept, the more it is preferred. The reason is, that the mordant succeeds be^t when the iron is in the state of red oxyde. It would be bet- ter then to oxydate the iron, or convert it into rust, before using it ; which might easily be done, by keeping it for some time in a moist place, and sprinkling it occasionally with water. Tan has a very strong affinity for cloth, and for several col- ouring matters ; it i therefore very frequently employed as a mordant. An infusion of nut-galls*, or of sumach, or any other substance containing tan, is made in water, and the cloth is dipped in this infusion, and allowed to remain till it has absorbed a sufficient quantity of tan. Silk is capable of absorbing a very great proportion of tan, and by that means acquires a great increase of weight. Manufacturers sometimes employ this method of increasing the weight of silk. Tan is often employed al-o, along with other mordants, in order to produce a compound mordant. Oil is also used for the same purpose, in the dyeing of cotton and linen. The mordants with which tan most frequently is combined, are alumine, and oxyde of iron Besides these mordants, there are several other substances frequently used as auxiliaries, either to facilitate the combi- nation of the mordant with the cloth, or to alter the shade of colour ; the chief of these are, tartar, acetite of lead, common salt, ja/ ammoniac, sulphate or acetite of copper, &c. Mordants not only render the dye permanent, but have al- so considerable influence on the colour produced. The same colouring matter produces very different dyes, according as the mordant is changed. Suppose, for instance, that the col- ouring matter be cochineal ; if we use the aluminous mor- dant, the cloth will acquire a crimson colour ; but the oxyde of iron produces with it a black. In dyeing then, it is not only necessary to procure a mor- dant which has a sufficiently strong affinity for the colouring matter and the cloth, and a colouring matter which possesses the wished for colour in perfection, but we must procure a 166 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. Eiordant and a colouring matter of such a nature, that when tombined together, they shall possess the wished for colour in perfection. It is evident too, that a great variety of colours may be produced with a single dye stuff, provided we can change the mordant sufficiently. The colouring matter with which the cloth is dyed, does not cover every portion of its : urface ; its particles attach themselves to the cloth at certain distances from each other ; for cloth may be dyed different shades of the same colour, lighter or darker, merely by varying the quantity of colour- ing matter. With a small quantity, the shade is light ; and it becomes deeper as the quantity increases ; now this would be impossible, if the dye stuff covered the whole of the cloth. That the particles of colouring matter, even when the shade is deep, are at some distance, is evident from this well known fact, that cloth may be dyed two colours at the same time. All those colours to which the dyers give the name of com- foimd, are in fact two different colours applied to the cloth at once. Thus cloth gets a green colour, by being first dyed blue and then yellow. The colours denominated by dyers simple, because they are the foundation of all their other processes, are four, viz. first, blue ; second, yellow ; third, red ; fourth, black. To these they usually add a fifth, under the name of root, or brown colour. 468. Of Dyeing Blue. The only colouring matters employed in dyeing blue, are woad, and indigo. Woad is a plant cultivated in this kingdom, and even grow- ing wild in some parts of England. Indigo is a blue powder, extracted from a species of plants which is cultivated for that purpose in the East and West Indie?. These plants contain a peculiar green pollen, which in. that state is solable in water. This pollen has a strong affinity for oxygen, which it attracts greedily from the at- mosphere ; in consequence of which it assumes a blue col- our and becomes insoluble in water. Indigo has a very strong affinity for wool, silk, cotton, and linen. Every kind of cloth, therefore, may be dyed with it, without the assistance of any mordant whatever. The colour thus induced is very permanent ; because the indigo is already raturated with oxygen, and because it is not liable to be de- composed by those substances, to the action of which the cloth i-j exposed. But it can only be applied to cloth in a state of solution ; and the only solvent known being sulphu- iic acid, it would seem at first sight, that the sulphuric acid SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. u? solution is the only state in which indigo can be -employed as a dye. Wool and silk are often dyed blue by the sulphate of in- digo ; but it can scarcely be applied to cotton and linen, be- cause the affinity of these substances for indigo is not great enough to enable them readily to decompose the sulphate. The colour given by sulphate of indigo is exceedingly beau- tiful ; it is known by the name of Saxon blue. One part of indigo is to be dissolved in four parts of con- centrated sulphuric acid ; to the solution one part of dry car- bonate of potash is to be added, and then it it is to be diluted with eight times its weight of water. The cloth must be boil- ed for an hour in a solution, containing five parts of alum, and three of tartar, for every 32 parts of cloth. It is then to be thrown into a water bath, containing a greater or smaller proportion of the diluted sulphate of indigo, according to the shade which the cloth is intended to receive. In this bath it must be boiled till it has acquired the wished for colour. The alum and tartar are not intended to act as mordants, but to facilitate the decomposition of the sulphate of indigo. The alkali added to the sulphate, answers the same purpose. These substances also, by saturating part of the sulphuric acid, serve in some measure to prevent the texture of the cloth from being injured by the action of the acid, which is very apt to happen in this process. But sulphate of indigo is by no means the only solution of that pigment employed in dyeing. By far the most common method is, to deprive indigo of the oxygen, to which it owes its blue colour, and thus to reduce it to the state of greea pollen ; and then to disolve it in water by means of alkalis, or alkaline earths, which in that state act upon it very readily. Two different methods are employed for this purpose. The first of these methods is, to mix with indigo a solution of some substance which has a stronger affinity for oxygen than the green basis of indigo : green oxyde of iron, for in- stance, and different metallic sulphurets. If therefore indigo, lime, and green sulphate of iron, be mixed together in water, the indigo gradually lo^es its blue colour, becomes green, and is dissolved ; while the green oxyde of iron is converted into the red oxyde. The manner in v/hich these changes take place is obvious ; part of the lime decomposes the sulphate of iron ; the green oxyde, the instant that it is set at liberty, at- tracts oxygen from the indigo, decomposes it, and reduces it to the state of green pollen. This green pollen is immedi- ately dissolved by the action of th rest of the lime. The second method is, to mix the indigo in water with certain vegetable substances, which readily undergo fermen- tation. During this fermentation, the indigo is deprived of 168 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. its oxygen, and dissolved by means of quick-lime or alkali, which is added to the solution. The first of these methods is usually followed in dyeing cotton and linen ; the second, in dyeing wool and silk.' In the dyeing of wool, woad and bran are commonly em- ployed as vegetable ferments, and lime as the solvent of the green base of the indigo. Woad contains itself a colouring matter precisely similar to indigo ; by following the common process, indigo may be extracted from it. In the usual state of woad, when purchased by the dyer, the indigo which it contains is probably not far from the state of the green pol- len. Its quantity in woad is but small, and it is mixed with a great proportion of other vegetable matter. When the cloth is first taken out of the vat, it is of a green colour ; but it soon becomes blue, by attracting oxygen from the air. It ought to be carefully washed, to carry off the uncombined particles. This solution of indigo is liable to two inconveniences; first, it is apt sometimes to run too fast into the putrid fermentation ; this may be known by the pu- trid vapours which it exhales, and by the disappearing of the green colour* In this state it would soon destroy the indigo .altogether. The inconvenience is remedied by adding more lime, which has the property of moderating the putrescent tendency. Secondly, sometimes the fermentation goes on too- languidly. This defect is remedied by adding more bran or woad, in order to diminish the proportion of quick-lime. Silk is dyed light blue by a ferment of six parts of bran, six of indigo, six of potash, and one of madder. To dye it of a dark blue, it must previously receive what is called a ground colour ; archil is used for this purpose. Cotton and linen are dyed blue by a solution of one part of indigo, one part of green sulphate of iron, and two parts of quick-lime. 469. Of Dyeing Fellow. The principal colouring matters for dyeing yellow are weld, fustic, and quercitron bark. Weld is a plant which grows commonly in Great Britain. Fustic is the wood of a large tree which grows in the West Indies. Quercitron is a tree growing naturally in North America, the bark of which contains colouring matter. Yellow colouring matters have too weak art affinity for cloth, to produce permanent colours without the use of mor- dants. Cloth, therefore, before it be dyed yellow, is always prepared by combining some mordant or other with it. The mordant most commonly employed for this purpose^ is aiu- SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 169 mine, Oxyde of tin is sometimes used when very fine yel- lows are wanting. Tan is often employed as a subsidiary to alumine, and in order to fix it more copiously on cotton and linen. Tartar is also ueed as an auxiliary, to brighten the colour ; and muriate of soda, sulphate of lime, and even sul- phate of iron, in order to render the shade deeper. The yellow dyed by means of fustic is more permanent, but not so beautiful as that given by weld or quercitron. As it is permanent, and not much injured by acids, it is often used in dyeing compound colours, where a yellow is requir~ ed. The mordant is alumine. When the mordant is oxyde of iron, fustic dyes a good permanent drab colour. Weld and quercitron bark yield nearly the same kind of colour ; but as the bark yields colouring matter in much greater abundance, it is much more convenient, and, upon the whole, cheaper than weld. It is probable, therefore, that it will gradually supersede the use of that plant. The me- thod of ucing each of the dye stuffs is nearly the same. Wool may be dyed yellow by the following process. Let It be boiled for an hour or more with about one-sixth of its weight of alum, dissolved in a sufficient quantity of water. It is then to be plunged, without being rinsed, into a bath of warm water, containing in it as much quercitron bark, as equals the weight of the alum employed as a mordant. The cloth is to be turned through the boiling liquid, till it has ac- quired the intended colour. Then a quantity of clean pow- dered chalk, equal to the hundreth part of the weight of the cloth, is to be stirred in, and the operation of dyeing contin- ued for eight or ten minutes longer. By this method a pretty deep and lively yellow may be given fully as permanent as weld yellow. For very bright orange or golden yellow, it is necessary to have recourse to the oxyde of tin as a mordant* For producing bright golden yellows, some alum must be added along with the tin. In order to give the yellow that delicate green shade so much admired for certain purposes, tartar must be added in different proportions, according to the jhade. By adding a small proportion of cochineal, the colour may be raised to a fine orange, or even an aurora. Silk may be dyed different shades of yellow, either by weld or quercitron bark, but the last is the cheapest of the two. The proportion should be from one to two parts of bark to twelve parts of silk, according to the shade. The bark, tied up in a bag, should be put into the dyeing vessel, while the water which it contains is cold ; and when it. has acquired the heat of about 100, the silk, having been previously Q 1 10 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. should be dipped in, and continued till it assumes the wish- ed for colour. When the shade is required to be deep, a lit- tle chalk or pearlash should be added towards the end of .the operation. Cotton and linen are dyed yellow as follows : The mordant should be acetite of alumine, prepared by dissolving one part of acetite of lead, and three parts of alum, in .a sufficient quantity of water. This solution should be heated to the temperature of 100, ths cloth should be soak- ed in it for two hours, then wrung out and dried. The soak- ing may be repeated, and the cloth again dried as before. It is then to be barely wetted with Jime water, and afterwards dried. The soaking in the acetite of alumine may be again repeated, and if the shade of yellow is required to be very bright and durable, the alternate wetting with lime water and soaking in the mordant may be repeated three or four times. By this contrivance, a sufficient quantity of alumine is combined with the cloth, and the combination is rendered more permanent by the addition of some lime. The dyeing bath is prepared by putting 1 2 or 18 parts of quercitron bark (according to the depth of the shade required,) tied up in a bag, into a sufficient quantity of cold water. Into this bath the cloth is to be put, and turned round in it for an hour, while its temperature is gradually raised lo about 120 ; it is then to be brought to a rboiling heat, and the cloth allowed to remain in it after that only a few minutes. If it be kept long at a boiling heat, the yellow acquires a shade of brown. Nankeen yellow is obtained by a solution of the red sul- phate of iron, which is combined with the cloth, by carbonate of potash. 470. Of Dyeing Red. The colouring matters employed for dyeing red, are kermes, cochineal, archil, madder, carthamus, Brazil-wood, lac, and logwood. %- Kermes is a species of insect, affording a red colour by so- lution in water ; but it is not so beautiful as cochineal, which is likewise an insect brought from America. The decoction of cochineal is a very beautiful crimson colour. Alum bright- ens the colour of the decoction, and occasions a crimson pre- cipitate. Muriate of tin gives a copious fine rad precipitate. Archil is a paste formed of a species of lichen pounded, and kept moist for some time with stale urine. Madder is the root of a well known plant, (rubia tinctorium. Carthamus is the flower of a plant cultivated in Spain and the Levant, It contains two colouring matters : a yellow, SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 1 7 1 ivhich is soluble in water, and a red, insoluble in water, but soluble in alkaline carbonates- The red colouring matter of carthamus, extracted by carbonate of soda, and precipitated by lemon juice, constitutes the rouge employed by ladies a^ a paint. It is afterwards ground with a certain quantity of talc. The fineness of the talc, and the proportion of it mix- ed with the carthamus, occasion the difference between the cheaper and dearer kinds of rouge. Brazil wood is the wood of a tree growing in America and the West Indies. Its decoction is a fine red colour. None of the red colouring matters has so strong an af- finity for cloth as to produce a permanent red, without the assistance of mordants. The mordants employed are.a!umine, and oxyde of tin ; oil, and tan, in certain processes, are also used ; and tartar, and muriate of soda, are frequently called in as auxiliaries. Lac^is the production of an insect brought from India. The decoction of it, in water, gives a deep crim?on colour. Logwood, called also Campeachy wood, is the wood that grows in Jamaica and the bay of Campeachy; It gives out its colouring matter, which is of a fine red, copiously to alk- ohol, and more sparingly to water. Wool may be dyed red with madder or archil, but these are used only for coarse woollen stuffs. The stuffs are first boil- ed for some hours in alum and tartar, and then wrung out. After remaining some days, they are boiled in a decoction of madder. Scarlet is the most splendid of all reds, but is of different shades, like other colours. Alumine was formerly used as a mordant for fixing the cochineal which is u?ed for dyeing red, but nitro muriate of tin is now employed for this purpose, as it gives a brighter colour to the cochineal. To dye woollen cloth scarlet, it is first boiled in a bath of pure' tartar, to which a little cochineal has been added, and also nitro muri- ate of tin. After this it is well washed, and then subjected to a second bath of cochineal, which is caljed the reddening. Sometimes they do not change the bath, but add-t he redden- ing to the first bath. As the red produced by cochineal alone is rather a crimson than a bright scarlet, to produce the Litter it is necessary first to dye the cloth yellow, and after crimson, as bright scarlet is a compound of crimson and yellow. This K done by the use of fustic, turmeric, or quercitron bark, in the first bath ; to produce the yellow, the second bath is cochineal alone, which naturally gives a crimson tinge. When crimson is the colour required to be dyed, the tin mordant is the best, but sometimes dyer* use alum baths for this purpose, and then a decoction of cochineal. The addi- 172- SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. tion of archil and potash to the cochineal renders the crimson darker, and gives it more bloom, but this is very fugacious. For paler crimsons, a portion of madder is substituted for part of the cochineal. Silk is usually dyed red with cochineal or carthamus, and sometimes with Brazil-wood, Kermes does not answer for silk ; madder is scarcely ever used for that purpose, because it does not yield a colour bright enough. Archil is employ- ed to give silk a bloom ;. but it is scarcely used by itself, un- less when the colour wanted is lilac. Silk may be dyed crimson by steeping it in a solution of alum, and then dyeing it in the irual way in a cochineal bath. The colours known by the names of poppy, cherry, rose r and fiesh* colour, are given to silk by means of carthamus.. The process consists merely in keeping the silk, as long as it extracts any colour, in an alkaline solution of carthamus, in- to which as much lemon juice as gives it a fine cherry colour, has been poured. Silk cannot be dyed a full scarlet ; but a colour approach- ing to scarlet may be given it, by fir-t impregnating the stuff with murio sulphate of tin, and afterwards dyeing it in a bath, composed of four parts of cochineal, and four parts of quercitron bark. To give the colour more body, both the mordant and the dye may be repeated. A colour approach- ing scarlet may be also given to silk, by first dyeing it crim- son, then dying it with carthamus, and lastly, yellow with- out heat. Cotton and linen are dyed red with madder. The process was borrowed from the East. Hence, the colour is often called Adrianople, or Turkey red. The cloth is first im- pregnated with oil, then with gal]?, and lastly, with alum. It is then boiled for an hour in a decoction of madder, which is commonly mixed with a quantity of blood. After the cloth is dyed, it is plunged into a soda lye, in order to bright- en the colour. The red given by this process, is very per- rnanent, and when properly conducted, it is exceedingly beau- tiful. The whole difficulty consists in the application of the mordant, which is by far the most complicated employed ia the whole art of dyeing. Cotton may be dyed scarlet by means of murio sulphate of tin, cochineal, and quercitron bark, used as fur silk, but th$ colour is too fading to be of any value. 471. Of Dyeing Black. The substances employed to give a black colour to cloth are, red oxyde of iron, and tan. These two substances have a sLcvnk r afiinity for each other ; and when combined; assume SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 1 ?s a deep black colour, not liable to be destroyed by the action of air or light. Logwood is usually employed as an auxiliary, because it communicates lustre, and adds considerably to the fulnes; of the black. Logwood yields its colouring matter to water. The decoction is at first a fine red, bordering on violet ; but if left to itself, it gradually assumes a black colour. Acids give it a deep red colour ; alkalis a deep violet, inclining to brown ; sulphate of iron renders it as black as ink, and oc- casions a precipitate of the same colour. Cloth, before it receives a black colour, is usually dyed blue : this renders the colour much fuller and finer than it would otherwise be. If the cloth be coarse, the blue dye may be too expensive ; in that case a brown colour is given r by means of walnut peels, Wool is dyed black by the following process : It is boiled for two hours in a decoction of nut-galls ; and afterwards kept for two hours more in a bath composed of logwood and sulphate of iron, at a scalding heat, but not boiled. During: the operation, it must be frequently exposed to the air ; be- cause the green oxyde of iron, of which the sulphate is com- posed, must be converted into red oxyde, by absorbing oxy- gen, before the cloth can acquire a proper colour. The com- mon proportions are five parts of gal:s, five of sulphate of iron, and thirty of logwood, for every hundred of cloth. A little acetite of copper is commonly added to the sulphate of iron ; because it is thought to improve the colour. * Silk is dyed nearly in the same manner. It is capable of combining with a great deal of tan j the-quantity given is va- ried at the pleasure of the artist, by allowing tlie silk to re- main a longer or shorter time in the decoction. Linen and cotton are not easy to dye of a full black. Ther cloth, previously dyed blue, is steeped for 24 hours in a de- coction of nut-galls. A bath is prepared, containing acetite of iron, formed by saturating acetous acid with brown oxyde f iron : into this bath the cloth is put in small quantities at a time, wrought with the hand for a quarter of an hour, then wrung out, and aired again ; next wrought in a fresh quanti- ty of the bath, and afterwards aired. These alternate pro* cesses are repeated, till the colour wanted is given. A de- coction of alder-bark is usually mixed with the liquor con* taining the nut-galls. Of Dyeing Brown. Brown, or fawn, colour, though in fact a compound, is usually ranked among the simple colours, because it is appli- ed to cloth by p. single procejs. Various substances are for brown des, 1 74 SEC RETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. Walnut peels, or the green covering of the walnut ; when first separated, they are white internally, but soon assume a brown, or even a black colour, on exposure to the air. They readily yield their colouring matter to water. They are usu- ally kept in large casks, covered with water, for above a year before they are used, To dye wool brown with them, no- thing more is necessary, than to steep the cloth in a decoc- tion of them, till it has acquired the wished for colour. The depth of the shade is proportional to the strength of the decoction. The root of the walnut tree contains the same colouring matter, but in a smaller quantity. The bark of the burch also, and many other trees, may be used for the same purpose. It is very probable that the brown colouring matter is in these vegetable substances combined with tan. This is certainly the case in sumach, which is often employ* ed to produce a brown. This combination explains the rea- son why no mordant is necessary ; the tan has a strong affin- ity for cloth, and the colouring matter for the tan. The dye stuff and the mordant, are already, in fact, combined together. 473. Of Dyeing Compound Colours. Compound colours are produced by mixing together two fimple ones ; or, which is the same thing, by dyeing cloth first one simple colour, and then another. These colours va- ry to infinity, according to the proportions of the ingredients employed. They may be arranged under the following classes : Mixtures. 1. Blue and yellow ; 2. Blue and red; 3. Yel- low and red ; 4. Black and other colours. Mixtures of blue and yellow. This forms green, which is distinguished by dyers into a variety of shades, according to the depth of the shade, or the prevalence of either of the component parts. Thus we have sea-green, grass-green, pea- green, &c Wool, silk) and linen, are usually dyed green, by giving them first a blue colour, and afterwards dyeing them yellow ; because* when the yellow is first given, several inconvenien- ces follow : the yellow partly separates again in the blue vat, and communicates a green colour to it, and, thus renders it useless for every other purpose, except dyeing green. Any of the usual processes for dyeing blue and yellow may be fol- lowed, taking care to proportion the depth of the shades to that of the green required. When sulphate of indigo is em- ployed, it is usual to mix all the ingredients together, and to dye the cloth at once ; this produces what is known by the same of Saxon, or English green. Mixtures of bfa and red* Tiiese form different shades of SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. 175 violet 9 purple, arid lilac. Wool is generally first dyed blue,, and afterwards scarlet, in the usual manner. By means of cochineal mixed with sulphate of indigo, the process may be performed at once. Silk is first dyed crimson by means of cochineal, and then dipped into the indigo vat. Cotton and linen are first dyed blue, then galled, and soaked in a decoc- tion of log-wood ; but a more permanent colour is given by means of oxyde of iron. Mixtures of yellow and red. This produces orange. When blue is combined with red and yellow on cloth, the resulting colour is olive* Wool may fee dyed orange, -by first dyeing it scarlet, and then yellow. When it is dyed first with mad- der, the result is cinnamon colour. Silk is dyed orange by means of carthamus ; a cinnamon colour by logwood, Brazil-wood, and fustic mixed together. Cotton and linen receive a cinnamon colour by means of weld and madder ; and an olive colour, by being passed through a blue, yellow, and then a madder bath. Mixtures of black with other colours. These constitute greys 9 drabs, and. browns. If cloth be previously combined with brown oxyde of iron, and afterwards dyed yellow with quer citron bark, the result will be a drab of different shades, ac- cording to the proportion of mordant employed. When the proportion is small, the colour inclines to olive or yellow ^ on the contrary, the drab may be deepened or saddened, as- the dyers term it, by mixing a little sumach with the bark. 474. CURRYING* The art of currying consists in rendering tanned skins sup- pie and of uniform density, and impregnating them with oil, so as to render them in a great degree impervious to water. The stronger and thicker hides are usually employed for making the soles of boots and shoes, and the^e are rendered fit for their several purposes by the shoe makers after they are tanned; but such skins as are intended for the upper leathers and quarters of shoes, for the legs of boots, for coach and harness leather, saddles, and other things, must be sub- jected to the.process of currying. These skins after coming from the tanners, having many fleshy fibres on them, are well soaked in common water. They are then taken out and stretched upon a very even wooden horse ; where with a paring knife all the superfluous fiesh 13 scraped off, and they are again put into soak. After the .soaking is completed, the currier takes them again out of the water, and having stretched them out, presses them with his feet, or a fiat stone fixed in a handle, to make them more supple, and to press out all the filth that the leather may 1 76 SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES. have acquired in tanning, and also the water it has absorbed in soaking. The skins are next to be oiled, to render them pliant and impervious to wet. After they are half dried, they are laid upon tables, and first the grain side of the leather is rubbed over with a mixture of fish oil and tallow ; then the flesh side is impregnated with a large proportion of oil. After having been hung up a sufficient time to dry, they are taken dowa and rubbed, pressed, and folded in various directions, and then spread out, when they are rolled with considerable press- ure upon both sides with a fluted board fastened to the ope- rator's hand by a strap ; by this means, and by repeating the rolling, a grain is given to the leather. After the skins are curried, it may be required to colour them. The colour- usually given to them are black, white, red, green, yellow, c. If the skins are to be blacked, the process varies according to the side of the skin to be coloured. Leather that is to be blacked on the flesh side, which is the ca*e with most of the finer leather intended for shoes and boots,, is coloured with a mixture of lamp black, oil, and tallow rubbed into the leather. And what is to be coloured on the grain side is done over with chamber lye, and then with a solution of sulphate of iron, which turns it black. 475. MANUFACTURE OF SODA. Soda, or the mineral alkali, is sometimes found in a native State, as in the lakes of Natron in Egypt, which are dry in the summer season v the water leaving after evaporation a bed of soda, or, as it is there called, natran, of two feet in thickness. A marine plant, called the Salso/a soda, which grows among the cliffs on the sea coast, seems to be endowed by nature with the property of decomposing the salt water, that is, of separating the muriatic acid from the soda,, which latter it absorbs This plant is collected by the Spaniards with great care, and burnt for the manufacture of barilla, which is a carbonate of soda mixed with various impurities. Soda is also procured in a still more impure state, by the burning of the tea weeds on our own shores, particularly in. Scotland, from which is produced a substance called kelp. But the demand for a pure carbonate of soda having be- come very, considerable of late years, from its great utility in many aus aad -processes,, various means have been tried for procuring it by decomposing the salts, in which it exists, combined with acids. Muriate of soda has been decompos- ed for this purpose, but this process has been found too ex- pensive. The following method is described by Mr, Ace urn,. in NLchols^fs Journal*. SECRETS IN ARTS AND TRADES- 177 Solutions of 500lbs. of sulphate of soda,* and. 560lbs. of American potash, are made to boil, and are then mixed* As soon as the mixture boils, it is conveyed into a cistern of wood lined with lead half an inch thick, which is fixed in a cool place. Sticks of wood are then phased across the cis- tern, from which slips of sheet lead, two or three inches wide, are hung into the fluid, at four inches distance from each other. When all is coo), the fluid is let off, and the chrystal- lized salt is detached from the slips of lead, and the bottom of the trough. The salt is then washed, to free it from im- purities, after which it is transferred again into the boiler, dissolved in clear water, and evaporated by heat. As soon as a strong pellicle is formed, it is suffered to cool so far that the hand may be dipped into it without injury, and the heat is kept at that temperature as long as effectual pellicles con- tinue to be formed over the whole surface of the boiier, and then fall to the bottom. When no more are formed, the fire is withdrawn, and the fluid ladled out into the cistern to chrystallize. The sulphate of potash, &c. which had been deposited, is then taken out of the boiler, and put aside- By this process from 136 to iS9lbs. of soda may be obtained from loolbs. of sulphate of soda. 476. MANUFACTURE OF POTASH. Potash, or the fixed vegetable alkali, exists as an ingredient* in very small quantity, in many minerals. It is also obtained from the tartar, or from lees of wine, in which it is called salt of tartar But the great supply of this substance is procured from the ashes of burnt vegetables. In many districts of England and Ireland, they burn the common fern to ashes, which they mould up with a little wa- ter into bails of about three or four inches in diameter ; these, are called ash balls^ and are the rudest preparation of this alkali. The potash of commerce, or black potash, is always pro* cured from the combustion of wood, and can therefore only be made in those countries where wood is very plentiful, as Poland, Russia, and Germany. This country is chiefly sup- plied from America. The ashes of burnt wood are put into a cistern with water, and a strong lixivium is made. After a time the water, holding the alkali in solution, is drawn off, leaving the impurities behind Potash is converted into a purer state by calcinir.g it in a reverberatory furnace. It becomes then dry, porous, con- * Sulphate of soda is sold cheap by the bleachers, who save it as the residue of decomposing common salt by suiphuric acid with manganese. 178 SECRETS Itt ARTS AND TRADES. siderably caustic, extremely deliquescent, and of a beautifujf bluish colour, from which it is called pearl ajb. All the?e are carbonates of potash. To obtain potash in a state of perfect purity, or uncombin- ed with carbonic acid, the carbonate must be boiled with twice its weight of quick-lime, to deprive it of the carbonic acid ; then to free it from other impurities, it must be dissol- ved in spirits of wine, (which dissolves alkalis and no other salt) and the solution evaporated to dryness. It is then pure and powerfully caustic. 477. Method cf taking a Cast in plaster Jrotn a per- son's face. The person whose Jikeness is required in plaster, must lie on his back, and the hair must be lied back, so that none of it covers the face. Into each nostril convey a conical piece of stiff paper open at both ends, to allow of breathing. The face is then lightly oiled over in every part with salad-oil, to prevent the plaster from sticking to the skin. Procure some fresh burnt plaster, and mix it with water to a proper consist- ence, for pouring. Then pour it by spoonfuls quickly all over the face, (taking care the eyes are shut) till it is entirely covered to the thickness of a quarter of an inch. This sub- stance will grow sensibly hot, and in a few minutes will be hard. This being taken off, will form a mould, in which a head of clay may be moulded, and therein the eyes may be opened, and such other additions and corrections may be made as are necessary. Then, this second face being anoint- ed with oil, a second mould of plaster must be made upon it, consisting of two parts joined lengthwise along the ridge of the nore ; and in this a cast in plaster may be taken, which will be exactly like the original. 478. To take Casts of Medals. In order to take copies of medals, a mould must first be made ; thh is generally either of plaster of Paris, or of melt- ed sulphur. After having oiled the surface of the medal with a little cotton, or a camel'?-h::ir pencil dipped in oil of olives, put a he op of paper round i ? ? stam r P; -ip abnve the surface of the thickness you with