418 Glue, 
in any manner, it may be done, and I shall feel myself 
obliged by the attention. 
“ Glue is an inspissated jelly made of the parings of 
hides or horns of any kind, the pelts obtained from fur- 
riers, and the hoofs and ears of horses, oxen, calves, sheep, 
&c. quantities of all which are imported, in addition to 
the home supply, by many of the great manufacturers of 
this article ; these are first digested in lime water, to 
cleanse them as far as it can from the grease or dirt they 
may have contracted ; they are then steeped in clean 
water, taking care to stir them well from time to time ; 
afterwards they are laid in a heap, and the superabundant 
water pressed out ; then they are boiled in a large brass 
cauldron, with clean water, skimming off the dirt as it 
rises, and further cleansed by putting in, after the whole 
is dissolved, a little melted alum or lime finely powdered, 
‘^vhich by their detersive properties still further purge it ; 
the skimming is continued for some time, when the mass 
is strained through baskets and suffered to settle, that the 
remaining impurities, if any, may subside ; it is then 
poured gently into the kettle again, and further evapo- 
rated by boiling a second time, and skimming until it be- 
comes of a clear, but darkish brown colour : when it is 
thought to be strong enough (which is known either by 
the length of time a certain quantity of water and mate- 
rials have boiled, or by its appearance during ebullition) 
it is poured into frames or moulds of about six feet long, 
one broad, and two deep, where it hardens gradually as 
the heat decreases : out of these troughs or receivers it 
is cut, when cold, by a spade, into square pieces or cakes, 
and each of these is placed within a sort of wooden box, 
open in three divisions to the back ; in this the glue, as 
vet soft, is taken to a table by women, where they divide 
it into three pieces,-^ with an instrument not unlike a 
* Wben the women by mistake cut only two, that which is 
double the size is called a bishop, and thrown into the kettle again 
to be manufactured afresh. 
