BLEACHING. 



591 



Bleaching, tated, a decomposition takes place, and the colour- 



' - y ' ing matter is precipitated. 



The extract frc -n linen cloth, containing a greater 

 proportion of resinous matter, is not so easily de- 

 composed ; yet, if a small proportion of fresh preci- 

 pitated earth of alum be added to it along with the 

 lime, and the mixture be well agitated, a decompo- 

 sition i3 effected. 



The impure alkaline solution is rendered caustic, 

 and becomes transparent, although it does not en- 

 tirely separate from the lac or resinous principle 

 which it had extracted from the linen cloth. In both 

 cases, it separates best from the extractive matter 

 when the solution is cold ; and the lower the tempe- 

 rature so much the better. 



On account of the comparatively high price of 

 soda, it has hitherto been very little used in bleach- 

 ing. From the experiments of Mr Kirwan, already 

 mentioned, it will be seen, that the power of soda, 

 as a detergent, i6 little inferior to potash. A large 

 quantity of barilla, an impure mineral alkali, is im- 

 ported into the British islands ; a considerable pro- 

 portion of which was, until very lately, used by the 

 bleachers in Ireland, who, from habit, gave it a pre- 

 ference to potashes. So late as the year 1800, the 

 quantity of barilla imported was . . . 175,629 cwt. 



In 1802, . . 151,796 



In 1800, the quantity of potashes im- 

 ported was 135,400 



In 1802, the quantity was only . . . 48,051' 



Barilla being, as well as potashes, a foreign pro- Bleaching, 

 duct, it is a matter of no small importance to know, v -' 



whether we can be supplied with alkali, of home 

 manufacture, at a cheap rate. We do not hesitate 

 to say, that, in a very short period, it will be com- 

 pletely in our power. 



It is well known to every chemist, that common 

 salt contains the mineral alkali, in the proportion of 

 53 parts in 100. Could the government of this 

 country be induced to allow the soda manufacturer 

 the free use of this salt, or of sea water, under pro- 

 per restrictions, we venture to predict, that Great 

 Britain and Ireland would soon render themselves 

 independent of foreign nations for barilla, as well as 

 of a large proportion of the pot and pearl ashes 

 which are used. 



The manufacture of soda, of an excellent quality, 

 has already made rapid advances, even under the 

 present restrictions, at London, Newcastle, and 

 Glasgow. At the latter place, and its neighbour- 

 hood, no less a quantity than 500 tons is manufactu- 

 red annually ; and large establishments are daily 

 forming for increasing this quantity. It is much to 

 be regretted, that the manufacture of this article, 

 which is of so much consequence to bleaching, dye- 

 ing, the manufactures of glass and soap, as well as 

 to many other important branches of commerce, 

 should be shackled by absurd and impolitic restric- 

 tions, (w. H.) 



B L E 

 Blechnum BLECHNUM, a genus of plants of the class 

 A Cryptogamia, and order Filices. See Botany, (uj) 



Blemmyes. BLEEDA, a town of Africa, in the kingdom of 

 </"" "' Algiers, situated at the bottom of a ridge of moun- 

 tains, which forms part of Mount Atlas. It is en- 

 compassed by a mud wall, about a mile in circuit, 

 and has a considerable population, but little trade. 

 See Shaw's Travels, p. 36. (j) 



BLEEDING. See Surgery. 



BLEKINGEN, a mountainous province of Swe- 

 den, about 70 miles long and 26 broad, and stretching 

 along the Baltic. It abounds in forests of oak, pine, 

 beech, and birch. The inhabitants are chiefly em- 

 ployed in fishing and hunting ; and they carry on a 

 considerable trade in potash, tar, tallow, hides, lea- 

 ther, beams, deal boards, and masts. The shallow- 

 ness of the soil renders it in a great measure unfit for 

 cultivation. Its principal towns are, Carlscrona the 

 capital, Carlshamn, and Solvitsborg. (j) 



BLEMMYES, the name of a people who appear 

 to have inhabited part of Ethiopia ; and who, proba- 

 bly from the circumstance of depressing their heads 

 and raising their shoulders, were represented by the 

 ancients as without heads, and as having their eyes and 

 mouths in their breasts. Agathemerus (c. 10. p. 49. 

 Geogr. Min. i. ii. ) supposes that this people inhabited 

 the part of Ethiopia under the equator, or the vallies 

 of the high chain of Ethiopian mountains. Deme- 

 trius of Lampsacus places them in the same region. 



Blenheim. 



B L E 



This barbarous people appeared in the third cen- Blemmyes, 

 tury, as the allies of the Egyptians against Diocle- 

 sian. " The number of the Blemmyes (says Gib- 

 bon), scattered between the island of Meroe and the 

 Red Sea ; their disposition was unwarlike, their 

 weapons rude, and unoffensive. Yet in the public 

 disorders, these barbarians, whom antiquity, shocked 

 with the deformity of their figure, had almost ex- 

 cluded from the human species, presumed to rank 

 themselves among the enemies of Rome. Such had 

 been the unworthy allies of the Egyptians ; and 

 while the attention of the state was engaged in more 

 serious wars, their vexatious inroads might again 

 harass the repose of the province. With a view of 

 opposing to the Blemmyes a suitable adversary, Dio- 

 clesiar persuaded the Nobatre, a people of Nubia, to 

 remove from their ancient habitations in the desarts 

 of Libya, and resign to them an extensive but unpro- 

 fitable territory above Syene and the cataracts of the 

 Nile ; with the stipulation, that they should ever re- 

 spect and guard the frontier of the empire." See 

 Gibbon's Hist. chap. xiii. vol. ii. p. 114 ; Slrabo, 

 lib. xvii. p. 1, 172. ; Pnmponius Mela, lib. i. c. 4. ; 

 rt. Hist. vol. xv. p. 475 (f), 491, 497 ; xvi, 

 132; xviii. 258. (j) 



BLENHEIM, a village of Germany, in the cir- 

 cle of Suabia, about 25 miles to the north-west of 

 Augsburg, has been rendered memorable in history, 

 in consequence of the decisive defeat which the 



