]'i6 1'HILOSOPHTCAL TRANSACTIONS. [ANNO 1781. 



and with a slip of the plantain leaf draw it into a thin lamella; take it off while 

 flexible, for in a minute it will be hard and brittle. The value of shell lac is 

 according to its transparency. 



This is one of the most useful insects yet discovered. The natives consume a 

 great quantity of shell lac in making ornamental rings, painted and gilded in 

 various tastes, to decorate the arms of the ladies; and it is formed into beads, 

 spiral and linked chains for necklaces, and other female ornaments. 



Fur sealing-wax, take a stick, and heat one end of it on a charcoal fire; put 

 on it a few leaves of the shell lac softened above the fire; keep alternately heat- 

 ing and adding more shell lac, till you have got a mass of 3 or 4 pounds of 

 liquified shell lac on the end of the stick.* Knead this on a wetted board with 3 

 ounces of levigated cinnabar, form it into cylindrical pieces; and, to give them 

 a polish, rub them while hot with a cotton cloth. 



For japanning, take a lump of shell lac, prepared in the manner of sealing- 

 wax, with whatever colour you please, fix it on the end of a stick, heat the 

 polished wood over a charcoal fire, and rub it over with the half-melted lac, and 

 polish, by rubbing it even with a piece of folded plantain leaf held in the hand; 

 heating the lacquer, and adding more lac as occasion requires. Their figures are 

 formed by lac, charged with various colours in the same manner. 



Famish. — In ornamenting their images and religious houses, Sec. they make 

 use of very thin beaten lead, which they cover with various varnishes, made of 

 lac charged with colours. The preparation of them is kept a secret. The leaf 

 of lead is laid on a smooth iron heated by fire below, while they spread the 

 varnish on it. 



Grindstones. — Take of river sand 3 parts, of seed lac washed 1 part, mix them 

 over the fire in a pot, and form the mass into the shape of a grindstone, having 

 a square hole in the centre ; fix it on an axis with liquified lac, heat the stone 

 moderately, and by turning the axis it may easily be formed into an exact orbi- 

 cular shape. Polishing grindstones are made only of such sand as will pass easily 

 through fine muslin, in the proportion of 1 parts sand to 1 of lac. This sand 

 is found at Ragimaul. It is composed of small angular crystalline particles, 

 tinged red with iron, '2 parts to ] of black magnetic sand. The stone-cutters, 

 instead of sand, use the powder of a very hard granite called corune. These 

 grindstones cut very fast. When they want to increase their power they throw 

 sand on them, or let them occasionally touch the edge of a vitrified brick. The 

 same composition is formed on sticks, for cutting stones, shells, &c. by the 

 hand. 



Painting. — Take one gallon of the red liquid from the first washing for shell 



* In this manner lump lac is formed from seed lac. 



