i66 ME M O I R S of f/je 
27^(? Soap-earth from Smyrna 5 [py 2)r. Edw. Smith. Phil. 
Tranf: N° 220. p. 228. 
VOap-enrth is found only in two places near Tiuracleci^ a large 
^ open village about fix leagues to the eaitward of Smyrna^ and 
in a very flat plain, about a league weftward of the river Hermus^ 
and levcral leagues from the fea'- it is a fine Soap^ and at the 
firfl gathering, it is a whitifh earth, which boils or ihoots up out 
of the earth j it is gathered always before fun-rifing, and in the 
morning, when there falls no dew, fo that a flock muft be laid 
up for the whole year in the fummer months • it comes up in 
Ibme places an inch or two above the furface of the ground j but 
the iiin ridng upon it, makes it fink down again j every morning 
there is a new crop, tho' all be taken away which the preceeding 
day afforded; the foil, that produces it, lies low in both places, 
and is in the winter wafliy; it is covered, tho' but thinly, with 
grafs. Three hundred drams of this earth put into a retort in 
'Balneo ^rende^or 12 hours in a violent fire, gave between 5 and 
6 ounces of an infipid phlegm. Finding therefore no volatile fait, 
as what muft have come over by the foregoing experiment; 200 
drachms calcined at a bagnio-fire, in a German crucible, were 
diflolved in water; the compofition of earth and water, boiled 
into a lixivium, made 500 drachms; it was boiled for three 
hours, fliU icumming off the froth, ihen it was filtrated, after that 
evaporated over a gentle fire ; it was kept to chryftallize, and it 
appeared like a fixt fait. At the foap-houfes they mix f of earth 
with \ of lime, and diffolve the compofition in boiling water; 
where flirring it often with a ftick, there floats a-top a thick 
browniili fubftance, which they preferve in balbns a-part, and this 
Icum is much richer than the liquor underneath; yet both are 
uied in mLiking the foap. Into a large copper caldron they put 
50 kintals of oil, applying a very hot fire, which burns conti- 
nually until the foap is made. When the oil has boiled, they 
begin to throw in fome of the fcum, and fometimes of the liquor, 
from which the Icum was taken. They often repeat this throw- 
ing in of the Icum and liquor for i; or 14 days, in which time 
the foap is ufually perfected; the brownifli Icum, and what is 
ufeful of the liquor, incorporating with the oil, what is ufelefs 
finks to the bottom of the caldron, where it is let out to make 
rr)om for throwing in more. The water, thus let out, is again 
thrown upon a new compofition of earth and lime; but when the 
liquor becomes wholly infipid, it is then judged to be exhaulled. 
After 13 or 14. Days, when the foap is finilhcd, it is laded outof 
the 
