10 Oriental Procefs for dyeing Red. 



manner that the necks only appear, are filled with the dyed 

 cotton yarn. The ley of diflblved foda, which is blackifh and 

 very fharp, is then poured over it till the jars be filled ; and 

 fome clean rags are prefled into their mouths, that the up- 

 permoft fkains of yarn may not lie uncovered. A fire is then 

 made in the fire-place below, and continued for twenty-four 

 hours ; and in the mean time the fteam which arifes from 

 the jars is feen collected among the rags in red drops. By 

 this boiling the dye is ttill more heightened, and is made to 

 fh'ike completely ; every thing fuperfluous is removed, and all 

 the fat matter which ftill adheres to the yarn is wafhed out: 

 nothing more is then necefiary for completing the dye of the 

 yarn but to rinfe it well feveral times in running water, and 

 then to dry it. 



That the dye of madder might be made very penetrating 

 by other methods, and through the means of other oily and 

 refinous fu bftances, is (hewn by the procefs of theTungufians 

 to dye horfe', goat's and rein-deer's hair, which they ufe for 

 ornamenting their drefles, of a beautiful red colour, by the 

 roots of the crofs-wort, or northern madder (gallium), and 

 narrow-leaved woodroof (afperula tincloria), which have a 

 refemblance to thofe of madder. They boil the frefli or dried 

 roots with about the fame quantity of agaric (agaricus offi- 

 cmarum), which, as is well known, is abundant in refinous 

 gummy particles, and is ufed by the people of Jakut inftead 

 of foap; they then lay in it the white hair which they wifh 

 to dye, and futfer it to feethe flowly until it be fufficiently 

 red. 



Cotton cloth is dyed with madder at Aftracan in the fame 

 manner : but many purfue a fraudulent procefs, by dyeing 

 with red wood, and then fell their cloth as that which has 

 been dyed in the proper manner. 



Note by the Editor. 

 One circumftance in the preceding procefs deferves parti- 

 cular attentioi., as it fumifhes a hint which, if properly fol- 

 lowed 



