HAND POLISHING. 303 



I rub the dressing when obliged to adopt this method with my 

 fingers, as my hands soon harden in fishing ; but a piece of thick felt 

 answers the purpose equally well. The line must be rubbed backwards 

 and forwards over and over again, day by day, until the dressing is almost 

 hard. 



The first process having thus been completed in its entirety, the 

 second one is at once started. This consists simply in hand polishing. 



Take a piece of linen about six inches square, make it into a pad, and 

 dip it in spirits of wine, squeeze the pad, and on the damp face of it put 

 three drops of old linseed oil (from Apothecaries' Hall) that has thrown 

 off many sediments, and smear them over the pad. Now rub to and fro 

 two yards, little by little, lightly and quickly, imbedding the line in the 

 pad. Continue the rubbing for about three minutes. Dip the pad, as 

 before, into the spirits, and, with three more drops of oil, proceed in the 

 same way, two yards at a time, along the whole length of the line. 



The hand, or the felt, rubbing will have deadened the appearance of 

 the body dressing and made the surface smoother, but after a few days' 

 work with the pad which should be used only once in twenty-four 

 hours streaks of polish will appear visible, and increase daily in number 

 and size. In seven or eight days the line will be finished ; and it is 

 gratifying to know then that, whatever trouble the systejn may have 

 involved, the line can be used after it has remained in the sun for two 

 more days. Do not underestimate this advantage. 



After the line has received its second coat of polish, which it will 

 require in six weeks time, it will maintain a fair face upon it for the whole 

 season. In use the secret is never to allow the polish to get too dull. In 

 order to prevent knuckles the line must be watched and polished when 

 necessary, the necessity being increasingly apparent to the observer as 

 dulness sets in. On the second occasion, the linen pad will effect its 

 purpose in about half the time. When due attention has been paid to this, 

 the body dressing, so far my own experience extends, is never wanted 

 again. 



Ordinary lines necessitate a somewhat different treatment. As a rule 

 their surface cannot be made sufficiently smooth by the first process, so 

 as to effectually secure, at an early date, the best results of process No. 2. 



