VOL. XX.] PHILOSOPHICAL TKANSACTIONS. 2^9 



taken out of the belly of a snake ; and in Achin they killed a snake that had a 

 whole deer in its belly. 



They draw their wire in moulds of several sizes, gradually, as in England, 

 The Chinese gild paper with leaf-gold and silver, laid on with a very good sort 

 of varnish, the same with which they varnish their lacquered wares ; all which, 

 after it is thoroughly dry, they put in a screw-press, and with an instrument 

 like our plane, shave it as fine as they please ; and so they cut their tobacco, 

 which is as fine as a hair. Ambergris is found more or less in most parts ; great 

 quantities are found at Japan, and to the eastward of Java, and at the Maldiva- 

 islands ; which, they say, they find generally fastened to the roots of trees that 

 grow in the sea near the shore; and that while it is kept under water it is soft 

 and pliable like wax, and sometimes like jelly : there is now a piece in India, 

 which I have seen, that weighs above 2000 ounces. 



The people of Java marry, and have children, at 9 or 10 years of age ; and 

 generally leave childbearing at or before 30. At Tonquin there are women 

 common to any that will hire them, at 8 or Q years of age. 



The Japan and China varnish is made of turpentine and a curious sort of oil, 

 which they mix and boil to a proper consistence, which never causes any swell- 

 ing in the hands or face, &c. of such as make or work it. The swelling that 

 often happens to those that work the lacquered ware, and sometimes to those 

 that only pass by the shops and look on them at work, proceeds from the lac, 

 and not the varnish ; which lac is the sap or juice of a tree, which when cut, 

 emits it slowly ; it is catched by pots fastened to the tree ; it is of the colour 

 and consistence of cream, the top, that is exposed to the air, immediately turns 

 black ; and the way they make it black and fit for use, is to put a small quantity 

 in a bowl, and stir it continually with a piece of smooth iron for 24 or 30 hours, 

 which both thickens it and makes it black : they then add a quantity of very 

 fine powder of any sort of burnt boughs, and mix the whole very well together, 

 and then with a brush lay it smooth on any thing they design to lacquer ; then 

 let it dry very well in the sun, when it becomes harder than the board it is laid 

 on. When it is thoroughly dry it is rubbed with a smooth stone and water till it 

 is as smooth as glass, and on that lay the varnish made of turpentine and oil 

 boiled to a due consistence, for black lac : but for red, or any other coloured 

 lac, they mix the colour in fine powder with the varnish, taking care to lay the 

 varnish on as smooth as possible ; for therein lies the art of lacquering well. To 

 print in gold or silver, &c. you must with a fine pencil, dipped in the varnish, 

 draw what flowers, birds, &c. you please, and let it lie till it begins to be dry ; 

 then lay on the leaf-gold, or silver, or pin-dust, &c. 



It is well known that there is among the Bramins a language called the 



o Q 2 



