PIKE-TACKLE. 37 



known as an authority on sea-fishing, formed an unfavourable 

 opinion, and in a letter to the Field^ wrote : 



I have more than once observed in the Field queries from 

 your correspondents respecting the mode of staining gimp black, 

 and I met with a recipe a short time since recommending that 

 it should be dipped into a solution of bichlorate of platinum. 

 There is no doubt of the efficacy of this process ; but it may chance 

 to do more than is required, for allow me to suggest that the ope- 

 rator may find an effect produced analogous to that observed by an 

 amateur who, having been advised by a friend to waterproof his flax 

 line by soaking it in 'boiled linseed oil,' forgot the instructions, and 

 used the linseed oil boiling, which completely charred his line. 

 The following process for blackening gimp is as efficacious and 

 harmless as it is simple. 



Put your gimp into a little box of card paper, or what not ; 

 cover it with some flowers of sulphur, put it aside, and in a day or 

 two it will be as black as you can desire. If you cannot wait a day 

 or two, but must have it at once, get a little sulphur in the soluble 

 state, viz., sulphide of ammonium formerly hydrosulphuret of 

 ammonia. Put a few drops of this into water, and immerse your 

 gimp. A few hours will make it black enough, without in the 

 slightest degree injuring the silk within. 



You had better conduct the process out of doors, as the odour 

 of sulphuretted hydrogen is not agreeable to everybody. 



To this the editor of the Field appends the following note : 



Mr. Hearder is perfectly right in his condemnation of the pre- 

 paration of platinum. We had some traces of gimp stained by it 

 and after a few months' keeping they snapped under very slight 

 strain, like scorched string. 



Captain Robinson, late of the Bombay army, writes to me 

 that sulphide of potassium is a good permanent stain, both for 

 brass and silver gimp. He says : 



In your ' Book of the Pike,' which I have lately read, bichlorate of 

 platinum is recommended for staining brass gimp. This I failed 

 to obtain in a county town, but being convinced of the importance 

 of staining gimp, I thought of trying sulphide of potassium. As I 

 find this gives a permanent stain to both silver and brass gimp, I 

 take the liberty of mentioning it to you. Sulphide of potassium 



3rr; 

 Of 



