338 
On the Chinese hacker. 
[Nov, 
“ There is only one kind of lacker used in China, which is opaque ; but there 
are fire degrees of quality ; the first drawn from the tree being the best, and the 
quality gradually diminishing in goodness, in proportion to the quantity extracted— 
it is used in its pure simple state. 
Previous to laying on the lacker, the wood is covered over with a thin coating 
of clay, (of which a specimen accompanies.) The clay is used mixed with water 
only. When dry, and the surface polished, it is coated over with the common 
lacker, and dried in the shade, when it appears of a dull black color. It is then 
coated again, and dried in the shade. This process is repeated as often as desired, 
each time with lacker of a better quality than the preceding ; the surface being ren- 
dered smooth or polished before each coating. The last coating is dried in the sun, 
which is the only process employed to render it transparent. 
The transparent black is produced by the pure lacker without any colouring 
matter, or being dissolved in any oil or spirit. When another colour is wanted, the 
colouring matter is mixed with the lacker used for the last coating; which, like the 
black, is rendered transparent by being dried in the sun. 
Specimens are sent herewith of the different qualities of Lacker, No. 1. being 
the most common, and No. 5. the best. 
In general four coats of lacker are deemed sufficient for any colour, except 
black, to produce which, of good quality, five coats are required ; the finest quality 
of lacker being used for the last coat. 
I send herewith pieces of lackered wood, shewung the different grades of the 
lackering process. 
I send also a piece of wood lackered over with the Rangoon lacker, sent on here 
last year. It was used in the pure state like the Chinese lacker ; and the manu- 
facturer observed that it required about four times as much exposure to the atmo- 
sphere to dry, as the Chinese lacker, and when dry it is very inferior in point of 
transparency. Indeed it remains soft, and rubs off. (When it reached Calcutta it 
was quite hard ; the nail had no effect on it. ed.) 
I am promised a specimen of the Lacker tree, which shall be forwarded to you 
by the earliest opportunity.” 
XI. — Miscellaneous Notices. 
1. Volcano in the Himmalat/a. 
In a late vol. of Brewster’s Journal appeared an account of a Volcano in the Hirn- 
malaya, — which was received with much interest both in England and in India. No 
proof of the actual occurrence of such a phenomenon was brought forward, how- 
ever, the information given, being confined to the description of an appearance, 
something like smoke issuing from the vertex of a peak on the Rungpore frontier. 
No light or fire had ever been seen, and the conclusion that it was a volcano, ap- 
peared to those who have seen much of these mountains not at all probable. 
The following extract from a letter (we believe by the author of that notice) re- 
lates to the same peak. The writer had been within sixty miles of it. 
“ The high snowy momitain said to smoke, certainly the more I see of it, the 
more I feel puzzled as to what can occasion the appearance. Whatever itis, snow, 
vapour, or smoke, it comes out of a deep rent in the top of the hill. It always 
blows from West to East, that is, it shows itself when the wind is from the West- 
ward, but is not visible when the wind is from the East ; I have had no view of it on 
a clear day within the hills yet.” 
Our readers will remember a similar appearance related in Bishop Heber’s Jour- 
nal, as communicated by Mr. Traill, at Alrnorah. The following, which we have 
extracted from the Journal of an excursion in these mountains, made by a friend, re- 
fers to the same circumstance. 
“ Having travelled so much in these mountains without ever hearing any menti- 
on by natives of fire or smoke issuing from any of the snowy or other peaks, it was 
not without surprise I learned from Mr. Traill, that the mountaineers aver, that 
Nunda Debee, one of the large snowy peaks visible from the summit of the Almo- 
nd' ridge, frequently emits smoke; they attribute the fact to the circumstance of 
their god cooking his dinner ; and they call the peak bis ckitla. or kitchen. The 
frequency of hot springs within the snowy range, is certainly a remarkable feature, 
though I can by no means allow of tliwir necessary connection with volcanic pheuo- 
