[ 669 ] 
commonly called. This enters more into (Economi- 
cal ufes among us than any other of the whole genus. 
How confiderable an article it forms in the dying 
trade, in which its ufes are various and extenfive, is 
very well known. Its tinging property has been 
known from ancient times ; and fome of our molt 
celebrated botanic writers are of opinion, that it was 
ufed as a dye even in the days of Theophraftus. That 
father of botany mentions a fucus, which, he fays, 
grew upon the rocks about the ifland of Crete ; and 
that they dyed woollen garments of a purple, or ra- 
ther a red colour, with it. It grows on the rocks by 
the fea-coaft in many parts of the Archipelago, and 
in the Canary Iflands ; from whence we generally 
import it, as well as from the Cape Verd, which 
afford it in plenty. 1 he demand for orchel is fo great, 
that Mr. Hellot (7), of the Royal Academy of Sci- 
ences, informs us, they gather yearly, upon an aver- 
age, from the ifle of Teneriffe 500 quintals, which 
amounts to 25 ton weight; from the Canary Iflands 
4,00 quintals, from Forteventura 300, from Lance- 
rota 300, the fame from Gomera, and from Ferro 
800. 
The way of manufacturing the orchel for the ufes 
of dying, was for a confiderable time a fecret in few 
hands ; but it is now done in London, and other 
parts of Europe, to great perfection. Mr. Ray, from 
Imperatus, gives a brief account of the procefs (8). 
Micheli has fince delivered a more exaCt detail of it. 
(7) L’Art de la Teinture des lains et des Etoffes de lain, Paris 
2750, 
P- 543 - 
