Feb. 1, 1865.] THE TECHNOLOGIST. 



ON THE SPONGE FISHERY, ETC. 317 



railway material, the painting inside and outside of the waggons, as well 

 as for the under and upper part of carriages. 



Locomotives, tenders, and iron and wooden bridges are all, with great 

 advantage, coated by this minium. 



It also covers usefully all kinds of tarpaulins. 



The iron minium is employed the same as all other paints, with 

 boiled or unboiled linseed oil ; if the oil is not boiled, some dryers must 

 be added, for instance litharge, or any good siccative, but not turpen- 

 tine. For iron vessels or any works exposed to the contact of salt water, it 

 is necessary to take boiled flax oil, and not to employ litharge, but a 

 good siccative, and not to expose the object to the action of the water 

 before the painting is perfectly dry. 



Iron minium mixes easily with other colours ; such as black, yellow, 

 green, &c. ; and by so doing a variety of colours is obtained to the conve- 

 nience of persons who would not like the dark brown of the iron minium 

 paint. 



It has been proved by experiments that the iron minium paint lasts 

 twice and even three times as long as red lead paint. 



Iron minium has also been employed for the painting of sugar vats, 

 standers of iron plate or cast-iron boilers, and all kinds of steam- 

 engines ; it resists generally the strongest heat. Mixed with mineral tar 

 it forms an excellent coat for wooden vessels, since it hardens the wood 

 to a remarkable degree. It is most advantageous for gas tubes. 



It is another important advantage of this paint, that mixed with oil 

 there is no apparent alteration, whilst red lead, when it remains a few 

 days not used, shows some clots not to be reduced, and brought forward 

 by the influence of the oil on the oxide of lead. 



The iron minium paint is^ to be applied in several layers : the first 

 ought to be thin, the second a little thicker. The proportions of the 

 mixture are as follows : — 



One pound of iron minium to be ground with 1 J per cent, of boiled 

 or unboiled flax oil : to be added, 1-20 per cent, of dryers. — Practical 

 Mechanics' Journal. 



THE SPONGE FISHERY OF THE OTTOMAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



BY M. BILIOTTI, 

 BRITISH VICE-CONSUL AT RHODES. 



As sponges form the principal article of exportation from this 

 district, and as a great portion of them is sent to Great Britain, I think 

 it may be interesting to enter into some details on the subject. 



There are nearly as many different qualities of fine, common, and 

 coarse sponges as there are spots of fishery. The sponges in this 



