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XXIV. Method of painting Linen Cloth in Oil Colours, to 

 le more pliant, durable, and longer impervious to Water, 

 than in the usual Mode. By Mr. William Anderson, 

 of His Majesty's Dock-Yard, Portsmouth*. 



Sill, 



1 beg leave to lay before the Society of Arts, &c., the fol- 

 lowing improvements and observations, whioh I hope will 

 be of service to the public. 



Having never heard or read of any method being disco- 

 vered to prevent paint when laid on canvass from hardening 

 to^sueh a degree as to crack and eventually to break the 

 canvass, and render it unserviceable in a short time; and 

 having been an eye-witness for many years of much canvass 

 perishing for want of such discovery, in the immense quan- 

 tities painted for covering seamen's hammocks, and for other 

 uses on board his majesty's ships ; I long had it under con- 

 sideration to find out such an ingredient as, when mixed 

 with paint, would preserve the canvass and paint laid thereon 

 from the damages above mentioned : and after experiments 

 for a considerable time, I have discovered such an article, 

 and made trial of it with effect above three years. 



The canvass I have painted has been submitted to the in- 

 spection of the Navy Board, who are so perfectly satisfied 

 with my new method, that general directions are now given 

 to paint all canvass in his majesty's dock-yards in this man- 

 ner; which, in addition to the advantages I have before men- 

 tioned, actually saves an expense of one guinea in every 

 hundred square yards of canvass so painted, as I have fully 

 stated to them. The ingredient I use is not only serviceable 

 for ships' canvass, but also for canvass designed for paintings, 

 for floor-cloths, and for painted coverings within and with- 

 out doors. I have no doubt of it being applied to many 

 other purposes 1 am yet unacquainted with ; as, from actual 

 trials of near four years, I can vouch for its being a prcscr- 



* From Transactions of the Society for the Encouragement o/V/r/.s, Manufac- 

 tures, ami Commerce, for 1807. The silver medal of the Society was voteq 



to Mr. Anderson for this communication. 



K 4 vative 



