The Natural History of Se I borne 269 



business with great despatch, and seldom failing to strip them 

 with the nicest regularity. When these junci are thus far pre- 

 pared they must lie out on the grass to be bleached, and take 

 the dew for some nights, and afterwards be dried in the sun. 



Some address is required 

 in dipping these rushes in 

 scalding fat or grease ; but 

 this knack also is to be at- 

 tained by practice. The 

 careful wife of an industri- 

 ous Hampshire labourer 

 obtains all her fat for 

 nothing; for she saves the 

 scummings of her bacon- 

 pot for this use : and, if 

 the grease abounds with 

 salt, she causes the salt to 

 precipitate to the bottom, 

 by setting the scummings 

 in a warm oven. Where 

 hogs are not much in use, 

 and especially by the sea- 

 side, the coarser animal- 

 oils will come very cheap. 

 A pound of common grease 

 may be procured for four- 

 pence, and about six pounds 

 of grease will dip a pound 

 of rushes, and one pound 

 of rushes may be bought 

 for one shilling; so that a 

 pound of rushes, medicated 

 and ready for use, will cost 

 three shillings. If men that keep bees will mix a little |wax 

 with the grease, it will give it a consistency, and render it 

 more cleanly, and make the rushes burn longer ; mutton-suet 

 would have the same effect. 



