CHAP, iv S Y L V A 127 



I know not whether it may be any service to 

 speak here of coloured woods, I mean such as are 

 naturally so, because besides the berbery for yellow, 

 holly for white, and plum-tree with quick-lime and 

 urine, for red, we have very few : Our inlayers use 

 fustic, locust, or acacia ; Brasile, prince and rose-wood 

 for yellow and reds, with several others brought from 

 both the Indies ; but when they would imitate the 

 natural turning of leaves in their curious comparti- 

 ments and bordures of flower-works, they effect it by 

 dipping the pieces (first cut into shape, and ready 

 to in-lay) so far into hot sand, as they would have 

 the shadow, and the heat of the sand darkens it so 

 gradually, without detriment or burning the thin 

 chip, as one would conceive it to be natural. 



Note, that the sand is to be heated in some very 

 thin brasspan, like to the bottom of a scale or bal- 

 lance : This I mention, because the burning with 

 irons, or aqua-fortis, is not comparable to it. 



I learn also, that soft wood attains little politure 

 without infinite labour, and the expedient is, to plane 

 it often, and every time you do so, to smear it with 

 strong glew, which easily penetrating, hardens it ; 

 and the frequenter you do this, and still plane it, the 

 harder and sleeker it will remain. 



And now we have spoken of glew, 'tis so common 

 and cheap, that I need not tell you it is made by 

 boiling the sinews, GPc. of sheeps-trotters, parings of 

 raw-hides, G?c, to a gelly, and straining it : But the 

 finer and more delicate work is best fastned with 

 fish-glew, to be had of the druggist by the name of 

 ichthyocolla ; you may find how the best is made of 

 the skin of sturgeon, in the Philos. Trans, vol. n. 

 num. 129. 



