VOL. XLVIII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 36Q 



The berries of the tallow-tree are of great use in the southern provinces, 

 where there are very few sheep. Almost all the candles, sold there, are made 

 of the oil ilrawn from these berries. They procure this oil in the same manner 

 mentioned concerning the wax, and as this oil is not of so good a consistence as 

 tallow ; for its cohesion, when candles are made of it, they dip them in the white 

 wax before-mentioned; the external coat, thus made, prevents them from gut- 

 tering.* At Pekin the same thing is done with tallow candles; nor does he ever 

 remember to have seen them run down. He imagines that our bee's-wax would 

 answer the same purposes with this white wax of China. 



The seeds of the yen tchi come from a plant which is very particular. From 

 these seeds or berries, when very ripe, a tincture of a fine red is drawn, as may 

 be seen in the flakes of cotton charged with this colour, sold here. They 

 moisten them with a little warm water, and then express the colour, which is 

 afterwards evaporated to dryness, and serves for water colours. 



The persicaria, of which they make indigo in and about Pekin, merits atten- 

 tion. Indigo is also made of the persicaria maculata, with which the banks of 

 rivers and streams often abound; but it is of an inferior quality to that made 

 with the other persicaria, and this even is not of equal value with that made of 

 the anil, such as is made in the southern provinces here, and in those of 

 America. 



The stones of apricots come from a species of tree, whose fruit is not eatable. 

 These trees are only cultivated for these stones, from which an excellent oil is 

 produced for burning; and which, instead of olive oil, they use for sallads. 



The hoai tze are the clusters of the flower of a bastard acacia, from which a 

 most beautiful yellow tincture is drawn, by boiling them with a little alum. 

 The hoang tchi tze produces yet a finer tincture: but the finest yellow colour 

 of China comes from the hoang pe pi ; and these three are prepared in the same 

 manner. 



A kind of stuff is made from the cods of the wild silk-worm, called kien 

 tcheou, excellent for wear, when made for gain. It is scarce, and dear. There 

 is another kind of kien tcheou, of which they sell a large quantity at Canton: 

 it is made of the silk drawn from other cods. These cods are capable of being 

 wound on wheels or spindles. First they must be boiled in a strong lee, made 

 of the ashes of the stalks of the Sarazin corn, till they are capable of being 

 pulled asunder with the fingers, in order to turn them inside out, and take out 

 the fragments of the chrysalis; and as this kind of stuff is worked like other 

 cloth, the weavers do the rest. 



The fruits of the tong yeou, and of the tallow tree, which you should have 



• This is applicable to the green wax of Mississippi. — Orig. 



