3fi Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



tionist. Mr. Atkinson, on being applied to by Mr. Burchett, at once 

 communicated the details of the process as practised by bim. It 

 bas been found perfectly applicable to tbe moulding of lapidary inscrip- 

 tions. His instructions are as follows : — 



Paper. — A strong, pulpy, long-grained paper, like extra tbick 

 blotting paper — one layer of this is sufficient, if tbick enough. 



Dutch-toy paper has been used successfully. Japanese paper also, 

 for small work. 



Use. — "Wet the paper well, and with a common clothes-brush 

 kept well wet, beat the softened paper into the surface to be moulded. 

 If any breakage occurs, repair by adding another piece of paper, and 

 strengthen if necessary by rubbing some paste, taking especial care 

 that it does not penetrate to the object, and then adding [with paste] 

 another layer of paper to strengthen. 



Draw. — "When just moist enough to be elastic or rather pliant. 



To cast from paper mould. — To prepare the mould, equal portions of 

 naptha and liquid glue, mixed and put on freely with a soft common 

 sash-tool or similar brush. This will rapidly harden ; it is then fit for 

 casting from. 



To prepare mould. — Give a thin coat of common raw linseed oil 

 all over ; pour on plaster in the ordinary way. 



Having tested the method as communicated by Mr. Atkinson, by 

 taking a mould in paper from the cast of the Newton Stone, I prepared 

 at the close of July, 1870, to carry out my design on an extended scale in 

 the country. I was accompanied by Mr. Burchett. The locality selected 

 was the western division of Corkaguiny, in Kerry, of which Dingle 

 is the most convenient centre. This region was chosen as being at 

 once the richest and the most fully explored field for inscriptional pur- 

 suits. It wasknowntome that, in other districts almost equally rich, other 

 inquirers have been, and are, successfully engaged in the discovery of 

 similar monuments — notably, Mr. Brash, of Cork, and Mr. "Williams, of 

 Dungarvan — and it was deemed better to avoid any interference with 

 their labours, one great rew arcl of which is the right to claim priority 

 of discovery. 



In applying the process to the various classes of inscribed monuments 

 occurring in the Dingle district, it was found necessary in all cases to 

 be provided with apparatus for carrying away the moulds, so adapted 

 to the shape of the objects as to preserve, as far as possible, their 

 several contours and angularities. 



For legends extending along a continuous angle or arriss, a light 

 cradle, consisting of two boards, six feet long by six inches wide, hinged 

 lengthwise, and adjusted to the angular opening by moveable cleats, 

 was found sufficient. For more complicated forms, specially designed 

 templets, made in card-board, were provided. On the care with 

 which these were fitted to the salient and re-entrant forms of the 

 surface, as also in some cases to convex and cylindrical outlines, rested 

 much of the success attending on the operations. The paper em- 



