IMPROVED METHOD OF TAINTING CANVAS. 375 



surface. The second coat is to be formed of the same pro. 

 portion of English ochre and black, without any soap so- 

 lution ; and the third or finishing coat, to be done with black 

 paint as usual. 



I am, Sir, 



Your obedient humble Servant, 



W. ANDERSON. 

 Master Painter of H. M. Dock 

 Yard, at Portsmouth. 

 Port sea, Oct. 31st, 1806. 



SIR, 



AGREEABLY to the request in your letter, I have en- Thecolourmay 

 closed certificates relative to my new method of P aintin gf r o^ b ^ ne ^i, u . 

 canvas ; and I take the liberty of informing you of a e d canvas, 

 method of obtaining from painted canvas, unserviceable, 

 the whole of the colour laid thereon, and to do it at a very 

 small expense. This I discovered since I last wrote to you, 

 and I believe it will be of considerable advantage to govern- 

 ment, who, for want of such a thought, have buried and 

 burnt immense quantities of ships' hammock cloths, when 

 found unserviceable, to prevent embezzlement from taking 

 place. I suggested the idea to N. Diddems Esq. builder of 

 Portsmouth yard, who communicated it to the honourable 

 George Grey, Commissioner. I obtained leave to make 

 an experiment, which I repeated thrice, and found that 

 from one ton of painted canvas, unserviceable, I obtained, 

 upon an average, four hundred weight of dry colour, in at a trifling ex- 

 value to government nine pounds six shillings ; the expense by^icination. 

 of the process not exceeding six shillings. 



This I effected by calcination, raking aside the ashes and 

 sprinkling them with water, to prevent loss of paint through 

 excess of heat. By passing the calcined matter through a 

 fine sicvo, it is perfectly prepared for grinding; it grinds 

 well, possesses a good body for covering with, and dries 

 well with a good gloss. Its increase of bulk, in compari- 

 son with common colour of equal weight, gives it the ad- 

 vantage of covering more work. The colours yielded by 

 the calculation of different coloured canvas are as follows, 



4 w. 



