448 On ihe Preparation of Writing Ink. a 
to the preparation of the fluid alluded to, I had made a great 
variety of experiments, ih fome of which I treated the ful« 
phat of iron precifely as there directed ; but fince that times 
I have, with a view to improvement, followed the rule which 
is there prefcribed ftriftly, and have befides, at former inter- 
vals, gone over and varied the experiments of Macquer;) 
Lewis, Berthollet, Ribancourt, Prouft, and other celebrated 
chemifts, both foreign and native, who have treated on this 
and other fubjeéts nearly allied to it; with a view, if pof+ 
fible, to eftablith certain data upon which to ground the beft: 
mode of fabricating the article in queftion, being very de- 
firous conftantly to obtain an ink for the common purpofes 
of penmanfhip, which, at the fame time that it fhould flow 
with freedom, fhould have the proper degree of luftre or glof- 
finefs, and be at the moment of ufing intenfely black, with 
a capability of retaining that colour eotifianglie , even though 
openly expofed to the “adtion of the fun and air. This, I 
prefume, I have accomplifhed: at leaft, during a {pace of ten 
years, I have never met with any formula w hand bbe fo well 
rewarded my pains as the one which I am about to. commu- 
nicate. Having been brought up in a line of bufinefs im 
which I am in the daily habit of obferving the aétion of fuch 
fubftances upon each ‘other as enter into the formation of 
ink, it may be readily imagined that, in a practical point of 
view, my opportunities for the improvement of it have fallen 
little thort of any individual whatever. If to this I add, that, 
fince the year 1794, I have annually fupplied the public with 
at leaft 17,000 gallons of ink, befides preparing powder for its. 
oceafional production, it may be inferred that I have fpared 
no pains in ftudying what would beft eonduce to its perfect- 
ability ; and after the many attempts which I have made, I 
have never found my. expectation or that of my friends de= 
ceived, when the procefs has been conducted agreeably to the © 
following direétions :—In fix quaris (beer meafure) of water, 
(it does not appear of importance whether it be rain, river, or 
{pring water,) oz four ounces of the beft Campeachy log= 
wood, chipped very thin acrofs the graim; (the boiling may 
be continued near an hour;) adding from time to time a little - 
boiling water, to compenfate for wafte by evaporation : ftrain 
9 the 
