92 GUT STAINED A WATER-COLOUR. 



directed ; and when quite cold, put the gut into 

 it, and let it remain until the hue becomes as 

 dark as required. A strong infusion of green tea 

 will dye gut a useful colour. So will warmed 

 writing-ink : the gut to be steeped in it a few 

 minutes, and immediately afterwards to be washed 

 clean in spring-water. You will obtain another 

 good colour by steeping gut for three or four 

 minutes in a pint of boiling water in which you 

 have put a teaspoonful of alum, a bit of logwood 

 the size of a hazel-nut, and a piece of copperas 

 the size of a pea. To make your gut a water- 

 colour, take a teaspoonful of common red ink ; add 

 to it as much soot, and about the third of a tea- 

 cupful of water ; let them simmer for about ten 

 minutes; when cool, steep your line until it be 

 stained to your fancy. This is a very good colour 

 for the purpose, but should be applied gradually, 

 taking out your gut frequently to examine the 

 depth of the tint, lest it should become too dark. 



