4.42 DYES AND COLORING STUFFS. 



stability, from which it appears that the Chinese possess a coloring 

 substance having the appearance of indigo, which communicates a 

 beautiful and permanent sea green color to mordants of alumina and 

 iron, and which is not a preparation of indigo, or any derivative of 

 this dyeing principal. As furnished to M. Persoz by Mr. Forbes, 

 the American consul at Canton, it was in thin plates of a blue 

 color, resembling Japanese indigo, but of a finer grain, differing also 

 from indigo in its composition and chemical properties. On in- 

 fusing a very small quantity of it in water, this fluid soon ac- 

 quired a deep blue color with a greenish tinge ; upon boiling and 

 immersing a piece of calico on which the mordants of iron and 

 alumina had been printed, it was dyed a sea green color of 

 greater or less intensity according to the strength of the mordant 

 the portions not coated remaining white. 



A berry called Makleua grows on a large forest tree at Bankok, 

 which is used most extensively by the Siamese as a vegetable 

 black dye. It is merely bruised in water, when a fermentation 

 takes place, and the article to be dyed is steeped in the liquid and 

 then spread out in the sun to dry. The berry, when fresh, is of a 

 fine green color, but after being gathered for two or three days 

 it becomes quite black and shrivelled like pepper. It must be 

 used fresh, and whilst its mixture with water produces fermenta- 

 tion. The bark of Datisca cannabina also dyes yellow. It con- 

 tains a bitter principle, like quassia. 



A -coloring matter is prepared from the dried fruit of the 

 Rottlera tinctoria, by the natives of the East, to dye orange, which 

 is a brilliant and tolerably permanent dye. It is apparently of a 

 resinous nature. 



A small quantity of Alkanet root (Ancliusa tinctoria), is imported 

 from the Levant and the south of France, and is used to color 

 gun stocks, furniture, &c., of a deep red mahogany and rosewood 

 color. It is brought over in packages weighing about two cwt., tho 

 price being 40s. or 50s. per cwt. 



Turmeric is now imported to the extent of upwards of 800 tons, 

 a portion of this is used in dyeing. The culture and commerce 

 has been already noticed in Section III. 



The bark and roots of the berberry are used in the East to ih a 

 yellow ; the color is best when boiled in ley. Some of the sprries <>! 

 Symplocos, as S. racemosa, known as lodh about the Himalaya 

 mountains, and 8. tinctoria, a native of Carolina, are used for dyeing. 

 The scarlet flowers of Butca f random (the Dhaktree), ami 

 B. superba, natives of the Indian jungles, yield a beautiful dye, 

 and furnishing a species of kino (Pulas kino), are also used for 

 tanning. Althea rosea, the parent of the many beautiful varieties 

 of hollyhock, a native of China, yields a blue coloring matter 

 equal to indigo. Indigo of an excellent quality has been obtained 

 in the East from a twining plant, Gymnema tingens or Asdcpiaa 

 tingens. 



The juice of the unripe fruit of JRJi<inintis infcctorius, catlmrtlcus 

 and viriyatiux, known as Turkey or French berries, is used for 



