230 THE WEDGWOODS. 



by water, and sifted. One part of this, by measure, is to be mixed 

 with twice its quantity of fern-ashes, and calcined together in an 

 iron pot, the fire to be raised till the matter is red hot. It should 

 not melt, and for that reason should be kept continually stirred. 

 When it sinks in the pot, and grows of a light ash colour, 'tis done. 

 It then must be levigated in the potter's mill to perfect smoothness. 

 It may be used in proportion of one part to ten, and so on to fifteen 

 or twenty of the stone, as shall be found necessary. We found one 

 to fifteen of the stone a very suitable proportion. Our manner of 

 mixing was to dilute both the stones and the ashes to a proper 

 degree for dipping, and then to mix them as above. On mixing, 

 the whole grows thicker. If 'tis too thick for dipping, more water 

 must be added. Our method of dipping was just the same as is 

 used by the delft-ware people. We first baked our ware to a soft 

 biscuit, which would suck, then painted it with blue, and dipped 

 them with the same ease ; and the glazing grows hard and dry, as 

 soon as it does in the delft- ware. Large vessels may be dipped raw, 

 as the Chinese are said to do it. But the proper thickness of the 

 glaze is not so easily distinguished this way, as when the ware is 

 biscuited ; for, the raw body being of the same colour and con- 

 sistence with the glaze, when the latter is dry, 'tis hardly possible 

 to determine the limits of either; a thing very easy to be done 

 when the body is hardened by biscuiting. Our china-ware makers 

 in general deny it to be possible to glaze on a raw body or soft 

 biscuit. And so it is with their glaze ; which, abounding in lead 

 and other fluxing materials, melts soon and runs thin, and, melting 

 before the body closes, penetrates it, and is lost in the body, 

 whereas our stone is almost as hard to melt as the body is to close : 

 and, not melting thin, neither runs nor penetrates the body. I 

 insist on the truth of this observation, and 'tis necessary to bo 

 insisted on, as scarcely any of our potters, misled by too slavish 

 dependence on their own too partial experience, will allow it. I 

 have said above that the Jesuits observe that the Chinese paint and 

 glaze their ware on the raw body. I know this can be done, for I 

 have done it"; and so may any one else who pleases to try it. I 

 have now by me the bottom of a Chinese punch-bowl, which was 

 plainly glazed, when it was raw, or a soft biscuit ; for the ware 

 wants a great deal of being burnt, it being of the colour of coarse 

 whited-brown paper. But the same body, when exposed to a proper 

 degree of fire, turns to a china-ware of a very good colour a 

 demonstration that it had not, as our ware in England hath, the 

 great fire before the glaze was laid on. I don't point out the 



