[ 549 ] 
With their Afhes of Fern, or Wood of any kind, 
they make a Lye, which they reduce to what they 
call Pot-afh, by burning it with Straw. To do this, 
they place a Tub full of this Lye nigh a clean Hearth 
of a Chimney, in which they dip a Handful of loolc 
Straw, fo as to take up a Quantity of Lye with it. 
The Straw thus impregnated with Lye they carry as 
quick as they can, to hold it over a blazing Fire on 
their Hearth, which confumes their Straw to Allies, 
and at the fame time evaporates the Water from 
the Salts of the Lye. Over the Blaze of the firft 
Parcel of Straw they burn another dipt in Lye in 
the fame manner. This they continue to do till their 
Lye is all expended. By this means the Coals and 
Afhes of the Straw, and Salts of the Lye, are left on 
the Hearth, and concrete together into a hard folid 
Cake of a greyifh black Colour, which they ferape 
off, and fell for Pot alh. 
This is an eafy Way of making Pot-afh, in want 
of proper Veflels to extradl the Salt of the Lye by 
Evaporation, or in want of Wood to reduce the 
Afhes to Pot-afh in the Way above-mentioned, for 
which it feems to be contrived, and for which it is 
only to be commended. For the Pot afh made in 
this manner is full of the Coal of the Straw, and 
its Salt is not fo (Long, as our Workmen fay, orfo 
fharp and corrofive as the Salt of the foreign Pot afh, 
that is calcined in an open Fire; bolides other Dif- 
ferences hereafter mentioned -j which makes this 
Pot-afh unfit for fome Purpofes, and not above half 
the Value of the foreign. 
Cccc 2 
4 * 
