PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 495 
as accurately on a chart as the instruments at hand will admit; or lati- 
tude and longitude may be given, or bearings from prominent physical 
or geographical points may be taken. Give as accurately as possible the 
bearing of the planes of the inscriptions or different walls. Sketch 
each wall or inscription as a guide in putting the parts of the mold 
together. Make notes on the nature of the rock; whether the wall is 
natural or artificial, excavated or above ground; color of stone, &e. Pro- 
cure a specimen of the rock, if possible. If an artistic reproduction 
is aimed at, notes and sketches of discolorations, fungus growth, vines, 
&e., should be made. Or a photograph of the inscription should be 
taken, if possible, with a scale of inches for reference, care being taken 
to have the plane of the scale and the plane of the negative parallel to 
that of the inscription. The scale should stand against the inscription. 
Preparatory to taking a mold, clean off the surface of the stone or in- 
scription with a modeler’s knife or scrapers. 
Where the inscription can be covered with one sheet of paper, the 
sheets are laid simply one over the other to the thickness of four or five, 
the alternate sheets being crossed to cross the fibers in the paper. 
Where the surface is large, as supposed in what follows, the sheets are 
shingled on, so to speak, but commencing always at the top of the in- 
scription. Where No. 3 paper is used it is best to paste three or four 
thicknesses of it on sheets of No. 2, being careful not to put it on 
wrinkled. Sheets thus prepared are used only for the first course or 
layer, with the tissue paper in contact with the inscription. The other 
courses are No. 1 or No. 2 paper, as desired. 
The following process is suggested for large inscriptions and with the 
facilities assumed in this paper. Special variations must be made to 
suit the materials at hand, the climate, nature of inscription, &e. : 
V.—TAKING THE MOLD. 
Soak each sheet of paper in water for about three minutes or more, 
or until pliable, and put it unwrinkled on the face of the inscription; 
commencing at the top, stipple it firmly and methodically with the 
large brush until the paper reaches the bottom of the deepest cuts. 
Water should be applied with a sponge from time to time. For nar- 
row or small circular cuts use the small brush. Apply a thin coat of 
paste to this sheet, being careful never to get any on the surface of the 
inscription. Now apply the second sheet, wet also, always in the same 
course, if there is room, or below the first sheet if there is only one 
sheet in the first course. This second sheet should in any case overlap 
or cover two-thirds of the first. Stipple it, apply paste, and a third 
sheet, overlapping two-thirds, and stippling as before. Proceed thus 
until the entire inscription is covered. This will give three thick- 
nesses of paper over nearly all the inscription. Mend the torn places, 
where the paper has failed, by applying wet pieces and beating them 
in. In all deep cuts fill in with strips of pasteboard till solid, or cut out 
blocks of light wood to fit in flush. They should be glued in, and fur- 
