VOL. XXXVII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 5I7 



When the first coat of plastering is laid on, let it be well rubbed on with a 

 hardening trowel, or with a smooth brick, and strewed with a gritty sand, 

 moistened, as occasion requires, with water, or the before-mentioned liquor, 

 and then well hardened on again ; which, when half dry, take the last men- 

 tioned composition for the fine plastering; and when it is almost dry, lay on 

 the whitening varnish ; but if the work should be quite dry, then the chinam 

 liquor must be washed over the work with a brush. 



The best sort of whitening varnish is thus made. Take one gallon of toddy, 

 a pint of butter-milk, and as much fine chinam, or lime, as shall be proper to 

 colour it ; add to it some of the chinam liquor, washing it gently over with it ; 

 and when it is quite dried in, do the same again. A plaster thus made is more 

 durable than some soft stone, and holds the weather better in India, than any 

 of the bricks they make there. 



In some of the fine chinam that is to endure the weather, and where it is 

 likely to be subject to much rain, they put * gingerly oil instead of ghee ; and 

 also in some they boil the bark of the mango-tree, and other barks of astringent 

 natures, and aloes, which grow here in great plenty by the sea-shore ; but to 

 all of the fine cliinam, for outside plastering, they put bulter-milk, which is 

 here called toy re. And for inside work, they use glue made very thin and 

 weak, instead of size, for white-washing; and sometimes they add a little 

 gum to it. 



As several ingredients here mentioned, are not to be had in England, it may 

 not be amiss to substitute something more plentiful here, which may be of the 

 same nature. As to all the astringent barks, oaken-bark may be as good 

 as any. Instead of aloes, either turpentine, or the bark and branches of the 

 sloe-tree. Though turpentine be not so strong, yet, if used in greater quantity, 

 may serve to the same purpose. But there is a sort of aloes hepatica, often 

 very cheap. Instead of myrabolans, some juice of aloes [sloes ;] also instead 

 of jaggery, coarse sugar, or molasses, will do; instead of toddy, which is a sort 

 of palm-wine, the liquor from the birch-tree comes near to it. 



Note, That in China, and some other parts, they temper their mortar with 

 blood of any sorts of cattle ; but the ingredients before mentioned are said to 

 be as binding, and do full as well, and do not make the mortar of so dark a 

 colour. The plastering above described, is thought in India vastly to exceed 

 any sort of stucco-work, or plaster of Paris ; and Mr. Pyke has seen a room 

 done with this sort of terrass mortar, that has fully come up to the best sort of 

 wainscot- work, in smoothness and in beauty. 



