Oriental Vrocefsfor dyeing Red. *) 



the dyers. The foda is burnt partly at Killar by Armenians, 

 and partly in the wilds of Aftracan by the Calmucks. The 

 latter, becaufe it is very impure, fells at Aftracan for only fif- 

 teen copeks per pud, but the former is worth more than thirty. 



The cotton to be dyed red is firft warned exceedingly clean 

 in running water, and, when the weather is clear, hung up 

 on poles to dry. If it does not dry before the evening, it is 

 taken into the houfe, on account of the faline dews fo re- 

 markable in the country around Aftracan, and again expofed 

 to the air next morning. When it is thoroughly dry it is 

 laid in a tub, and fifh-oil is poured over it till it is entirely 

 covered. In this ftate it muft ftand all night, but in the 

 morning it is hung up on poles, and left there the whole 

 day ; and this procefs is repeated for a week, fo that the cot- 

 ton lies feven nights in oil, and is expofed feven days to the 

 atmofphere, that it may imbibe the oil and free itfelf from 

 all air. The yarn is then again carried to a ftream, cleaned 

 as much as poffible, and hung up on poles to dry. 



After this preparation a mordant is made of three mate- 

 rials, which muft give the grounds of the red colour. The 

 pulverifed leaves of the fumach are firft boiled in copper 

 kettles; and when their colouring matter has been fufficiently 

 extracted fome powdered galls are added, with which the 

 liquor muft be again boiled; and by thefe means it acquires a 

 dark dirty colour. After it has been fufficiently boiled the 

 fire is taken from under the kettle, and alum put into 

 the ftill hot liquor, where it is foon diffolved. The propor- 

 tion of thefe three ingredients I cannot determine with fuf- 

 ficient accuracy, becaufe the dyers make ufe of different 

 quantities at pleafure. The powder of the fumach leaves is 

 meafured into the kettle with ladles ; the water is poured 

 in according to a gauge, on which marks are made to (hew 

 how high the water muft ftand in the kettle to foak fix, 

 eight, ten, &c. puds of cotton yarn. The galls and alum 

 are added in the quantity of five pounds to each pud of cot- 

 B 4 ton. 



