On the Manufacture of Glass. 1 1 3 



For making pots we use equal parts of raw clay, burnt 

 clay, and pot shells. This last is obtained by breaking the 

 old pots, (that have been thrown out of the furnace,) into 

 pieces and then picking off the adhering glass and glazing. 

 These materials are each separately ground, and silted 

 through a fine seive — they are then put together into a trough, 

 and intimately blended while in a dry state ; water is now 

 poured in, until the whole mass acquires the consistence of 

 mortar. In this state it is suffered to remain ten days or a 

 fortnight, covered with a wet cloth. It is found at the end 

 of this time, of the consistence of dough and nearly as te- 

 nacious. A workman is now employed to turn it, and work 

 it with his feet. He commences by cutting it into slips of 

 an inch thick, and three or four inches wide; these he lays 

 on the bottom, at the farther end of the trough, when he has 

 covered the bottom in this manner, he gets upon it, and con- 

 solidates it with his feet ; he thus continues until the whole 

 mass is thoroughly trodden. This operation is performed 

 daily until the clay becomes solid, or in other words until all 

 the air has been pressed out of it, so that upon cutting it 

 open it presents an even uniform surface. Should it now bo 

 of a proper consistence, pots may be made of it. But it is 

 thought to improve if it is suffered to remain in this state six 

 or twelve months before it is formed into pots — and as far as 

 my own experience extends this is the fact. 



For making the pots we use cylindrical moulds, formed of 

 plank, bound with iron hoops opening on each side. Upon 

 these the workman places pieces of cloth, moistened so as 

 to adhere to the side of the mould, until the whole in?ide 

 is covered. This is to facilitate the separation of the pots 

 from the mould. The mould being thus prepared, he cuts 

 off a piece of clay, as much as he judges sufficient to form 

 the bottom of the pot, together with four or five inches of 

 the side — this he places upon a board of a size to cover the 

 bottom of the mould, the mould is now placed over this, and 

 the workman getting upon the clay, treads it down around 

 the bottom. The centre of the clay is then beat down to 

 the proper thickness of the bottom of the pot, by a block of 

 wood made for the purpose, and the remainder of the clay 

 beat up around the sides of the mould by the hands to the 

 desired thickness — the sides of the pot are then extended by 

 beating small rolls of clay, upon the inside of this with the 

 hands, until thev are brought to the top. The inner surface of 

 Vol. XVI.— No. 1. " 15 



