i_ 175 ] 180 



of soap per hundred weight of silk, and the boiling is to continue, as 

 before, during three or four hours. When the silks are boiled, they 

 are to be taken out of the kettle. For this purpose, a stick is put under 

 the bag, resting the stick on the edge of the kettle; and the bag raised 

 gradually, and then to be placed upon a shelving table of white pine. 

 It is then to be ripped or unstitched, and the silks taken out, in order 

 to examine if they be well boiled, or if there be any part of them 

 hiscuii, (improperly so termed by the diers,) that is to sny, if there 

 be any parts which the liquid has not sulHciently penetrated. This is 

 easily seen, by the yellow and a certain kiad of slime remaining on 

 those parts. Should this defect be discovered, they must be put in 

 again, to boil during some hours; and when the siik is found to be 

 well boiled, the bags are to be taken out, in the manner already de- 

 scribed. 



The silkc ommonly loses one-fourth of its weight in boiling; there are 

 some silks, as the wefts in Spain, Valencia, &c.-, which lose two or 

 three per cent, more. 



Of White. 



There are iive sorts oi white, or rather principal shades of white, 

 which are called China white, India w^hite, Paste white, or milk white, 

 silver white, and blue azure white. All these kinds of white differ 

 only by very slight shades, but which, howxver, are perceptible when 

 compared with one another. The three first whites are boiled and 

 freed from their gum, in the tnanner before described; but as to the 

 silver white, and the blue white, it is proper to put some blue (azure) 

 in the process of ungumming, which is done in the following manner. 

 Some fine indigo is to be washed twice or thrice, in moderately hot 

 water, then pounded in a mortar, boiling water poured over it, and left 

 to settle till the gross parts of the indigo subside: the clear water only 

 is used: this is what is termed azure by diers. 



When the boiling goes on, the silk is to be stirred up and down, 

 and moved round about by the means of the pot stick or half-bar; but, 

 instead of placing the silk on a shelving table to drain, the bags are 

 put into the long trough, (barque) full of clear water, opened, and 

 taken out of it, leaving the silk behind. The silk is then spread out on 

 a cord in the water, after which it is to be taken out and put on the 

 shelving table, which is to be laid across the trough over which the 

 silk is drained. After that it is to be dressed, and formed into hanks, 

 in order to be wound or twisted. The bleeching is to be done as fol- 

 lows: 



A large kettle is filled with clear water: to thirty buckets-full, about 

 one pound and a half of soap are to be added and boiled, and when the 

 soap is dissolved, the silk is to be put into the kettle on rods, and 

 passed through it as follows: For the China white a little annotto is to 

 be mixed with the bath, if we wish to have somewhat of a reddish 

 tint. All the skeins arranged on the rods, are to be put into the bath, 

 and the rods to be placed with their ends on each brim of the vesseL 



