22 HISTORY OF OHIO. 



when merely baked, the finer wares are called biscuit, and, in 

 appearance, resemble white marble, or a tobacco pipe. 



6. The last step, is the application of a coat of glazing to 

 prevent the ware from soiling, and from absorbing liquids, when 

 the vessels are employed in the arts of life. This enamel or 

 glazing is varied and modified, according to the nature of the 

 ware. It generally consists of some oxide, or earth, and in 

 many cases, is vitrified before it is applied to the biscuit. The 

 oxide of lead, is the common ingredient, in these enamels, being 

 easily fusible. But its use is dangerous, when used in large 

 quantities, to the health, in consequence of the action of acids 

 upon it, or even of oils. The enamel is generally applied by 

 immersing the ware, in water, in which, the enamel, reduced 

 to a very fine powder, is suspended. The biscuit rapidly ab- 

 sorbs the water, and thus, a thin coat of enamel is uniformly 

 deposited on its surface. Sometimes the same degree of heat 

 is required, to fuse the enamel and bake the ware. For the 

 benefit of our Zanesville manufacturers of earthen ware, we 

 have been to France, for information, for them, and now, step 

 over to England, on the same errand. In England, they have 

 employed a very ingenious method of applying colored figures 

 to their wares. The figures are first cut on copperplates, the 

 coloring matters, are mixed with a flux, and ground in oil, and 

 applied to the copper plate ; an impression is taken on a paper, 

 which is applied to the ware, or biscuit, which is at the proper 

 time, immersed in water, until by a gentle agitation, in the 

 water, the paper falls off", while the impression of the figures, 

 remains on the ware, which is then baked. By looking care- 

 fully at some articles of queensware, we can discover, where 

 the ends of the paper, met, on the article. It is said, that this 

 art of printing figures on ware, was discovered by mere acci- 

 dent. When an article was about to be put into the furnace, to 

 be baked, a printed paper, adhering to a vessel, the potter sup- 

 posing that the fire would burn the paper, and destroy it, let 

 the paper remain on the vessel ; but what was his surprise, on 

 seeing every figure and letter of the burnt hand-bill, on tho 

 baked ware! 



