152 Mr Bruce on the Manufacture of Tea, and on the 



round, and reversing them. Sometimes half a split bamboo 

 is placed in front and under the tiles, Avith a piece of paper on 

 it, to receive the lead that falls down, so that it may not come 

 in contact with the ground. This lead is every now and then 

 taken up and put back into the boiler, A mavmd of lead may 

 make about twelve or thirteen boxes, which will hold forty 

 pounds. There are also two other tiles," about a cubit square, 

 these are used for making the tops of the canisters, which are 

 generally of tin only, but can also be made from the above 

 mixture. It is necessary in making this sheet-lead, to hold 

 the sheets up and examine them ; for if not properly prepared, 

 there are sometimes a number of very fine holes in them, which 

 are not perceptible when lying on the ground or table. On 

 this account the first twenty sheets of lead are thrown aside 

 and rejected, even without any examination. When the tiles 

 have become nice and warm, it is then the fine and even sheets, 

 without holes, are obtained. Before a sheet-lead canister 

 can be made, it is necessary to have a model-box made to fit 

 into the wooden box, that is to hold the sheet-lead canister ; 

 on this box or shell the sheet-lead canister is made. It has a 

 hole at the bottom to prevent any suction in putting it in, or 

 drawing it out of the box or canister ; and instead of a top it 

 has a bar of wood across, by which it is drawn out. For sol- 

 dering, tin, with the eighth or twelfth part of quicksilver, and 

 some rosin, are used. The wood-part of some of the boxes is 

 covered Avith paper pasted on and dried in the sun. To give 

 the paper on the boxes a yellow colour, a mixture of paste, 

 with pulverized and sifted saffi'on, is laid on and dried. » The 

 paper on the corners of the boxes is ornamented by means of 

 a wooden block with flowers carved on it ; on this bit of wood, 

 very thin paper, cut to its size, is placed, and a mixture, con- 

 sisting of pulverized saffi-on, indigo, and water, having a deep 

 green colour, is laid singly on each bit of paper, with a brush 

 made of cocoa-nut fibres. These slips of paper are put one 

 above the other, twenty thick, or as long as the paper takes 

 the impression of the carved wood below. When the corners 

 of the boxes have been ornamented with this paper and dried, 

 another mixture, about the proportion of fom' seers of oil to 

 three seers of rosin, boiled together, is applied with a cocoa- 



