RUSHLIGHTS. 189 



regularity. When these junci are thus far prepared, they 

 must lie out on the grass to be bleached, and take the dew for 

 some nights, and afterwards be dried in the sun. 



Some address is required in dipping these rushes in the 

 scalding fat, or grease ; but this knack also is to be attained 

 by practice. The careful wife of an industrious Hampshire 

 labourer obtains all her fat for nothing, for she saves the 

 scummings of her bacon-pot for this use ; and, if the grease 

 abounds with salt, she causes the salt to precipitate to the 

 bottom, by setting the scummings in a warm oven. Where 

 hogs are not much in use, and especially by the sea-side, the 

 coarser animal oils will come very cheap. A pound of common 

 grease may be procured for fourpence ; and about six pounds 

 of grease will dip a pound of rushes ; and one pound of rushes 

 may be bought for one shilling ; so that a pound of rushes, 

 medicated and ready for use, will cost three shillings. If men 

 that keep bees will mix a little wax with the grease, it will 

 give it a consistency, and render it more cleanly, and make 

 the rushes burn longer : mutton suet would have the same 

 effect. 



A good rush, which measured in length two feet four inches 

 and a half, being minuted, burnt only three minutes short of 

 an hour ; and a rush of still greater length has been known to 

 burn one hour and a quarter. 



These rushes give a good, clear light. Watch-lights, (coated 

 with tallow,) it is true, shed a dismal one " darkness visible ;" 

 but then the wicks of those have two ribs of the rind, or peel, 

 to support the pith, while the wick of the dipped rush has but 

 one. The two ribs are intended to impede the progress of the 

 flame, and make the candle last. 



In a pound of dry rushes, avoirdupois, which I caused to be 

 weighed and numbered, we found upwards of one thousand 

 six hundred individuals. Now, suppose each of these burns, 

 one with another, only half an hour, then a poor man will 

 purchase eight hundred hours of light, a time exceeding thirty- 

 three entire days, for three shillings. According to this account, 

 each rush, before dipping, costs one thirty-third of a farthing, 

 and one-eleventh afterwards. Thus a poor family will enjoy 

 five and a half hours of comfortable light for a farthing. An 

 experienced old housekeeper assures me, that one pound and 

 a half of rushes completely supplies his family the year round, 

 since working people burn no candle in the long days, because 

 they rise and go to bed by daylight. 



Little farmers use rushes much in the short days, both 



