ON ADRIANOPLE RED, &C. 45 



to prevent its combustion, dissolves a good portion of oxid« 

 of lead, and continues mixed with the alkaline solution of 

 alumine in a milky form, as long as is necessary for the im- 

 pregnation of the skeins. If this mixture be used in the 

 proportions and manner pointed out in my memoir, and fol- 

 lowing strictly in every other respect the process as I have 

 described it, fine and permanent colours cannot fail to be 

 obtained. However, notwithstanding the Himplicity of the But dangerouw 

 process, I can no longer recommend its use, because it has 

 exposed me to the danger of a fire, and I will relate in what 

 way. 



In order to see whether red cotton, which was not suffi- Cotton thus 

 ciently fixed, might be rendered so by impregnating it with i^,'k^ff,-e^spoa. 

 a mixture of an alkaline solution of alumine and boiled Im- taneously. 

 seed oil, containing an excess of the oil, drying it, and then 

 boiling it a very long while in bran water, I mixed the alka- 

 line solution of alumine in the proportion of an eighth, a 

 twelfth, and a sixteenth of boiled linseed oil. With this 

 mixture I impregnated a few hanks of dyed cotton, which, 

 after being left to dry a whole summer's day in the open 

 air, were laid on a rush bottomed chair; that stood in the 

 window of my closet. Finding myself indisposed that day, 

 I went to bed at seven o'clock. My children went into my 

 closet for some papers, an hour after I had left it, and per- 

 ceived no heat or smell in the cotton, to indicate a com- 

 mencement of burning. All the workmen had gone to bed, 

 and were fast asleep, when one of the watchmen of the 

 bleaching ground, seeing a great light in my closet, gave 

 the alarm of fire, and roused us all between twelve and one 

 o'clock. My sons, knowing that I was not able to get out 

 of bed, and unwilling to lose time in searching for the key, 

 broke open the door of the closet, which was in a detached, » 



uninhabited building. They went in, notwithstanding the 

 thick smoke and insupportable smell of the oily combustion ; 

 and found the chair with the cotton burning so furiously, 

 that the flames rose to the ceiling, and had already cracked 

 the glass, and set fire to the window-frame. They at once 

 presumed, that this commencement of a fire could proceed 

 «nly from the spontaneous intiamraation of the cotton im- 

 pregnated 



