168 BLEACHING. 



Nothing now remains, in order to complete 

 them for the market, but rubbing them with a 

 strong lather of soap, washing, and blueing them. 

 The alcali is one of the chief articles of expense 

 used in bleaching : and it is a great object with 

 the bleacher to recover the pure alcali from the 

 leys which have been used. 



The sulphuret of lime, or the combination of 

 sulphur and lime, which are both cheap articles, 

 has been used in Ireland for bleaching, instead of 

 potash. It was first proposed by Mr. Higgins, and 

 it answers in some cases, particularly where the 

 goods are intended for dying. 



The sulphiu'et of Hme is prepared as follows: — 

 sulpliur in powder, four pounds j lime, well slaked, 

 twenty pounds ; and water, sixteen gallons ; are 

 to be well mixed, and boiled for half an hour in an 

 iron vessel, stirring them briskly from tim.e to time. 

 Soon after the agitation of boiUng is over, the so- 

 lution of the sulphuret clears, and may be drawn 

 off free from the insohible matter, which is consider- 

 able, and whicli rests upon the bottom of the boiler. 

 The liquor in this state is pretty nearly of the 

 colour of small beer, but not quite so transparent. 

 Sixteen gallons of fresh water are afterwards to 

 be poured upon the insoluble dregs in the boiler, 

 in order to separate the whole of the sulphuret 

 from them. When this clears (being previously 

 well agitated) it is also to be drawn off and mixed 

 with the first liquor ; to these again, thirty-three 

 gallons more of water may be added, which will 

 reduce the liquor to a proper standard for steeping 

 the cloth. Here we have (an allowance being 

 made for evaporation, and for the quantity re- 

 tained ill the dregs) sixty gallons of liquor from 

 four pounds of sulphur. 



