DRAWING. 
white paper with gum-water spread by a 
sponge, and lay the vermillion tracing on it 
gently, pressing every part till the process 
is complete : when the print is withdrawn 
the gum will retain the vermilion, and after 
it is dried they will become inseparable. 
This mode, except the gum and paper, is 
used by engravers, who secure the lines by 
wax on their copperplates. 
There are numerous beauties in the ske- 
letons or fibres of leaves ; and it is at least 
a pleasing, if not an useful employment to 
collect all, or a part of their varieties, which 
may be done with decisive accuracy as fol- 
lows. 
To obtain the true shape and fibres of a 
leaf, rub the back of it gently with any 
hard substance, so as to bruise the fibres, 
then apply a small quantity of linseed oil to 
their edges ; after which press the leaf on 
white paper, and, upon removing it, a 
perfectly correct representation of every 
ramification will appear, and the whole may- 
be coloured from the original. 
Another way, which may be called print- 
ing of a leaf, This is effected by carefully 
touching the fibres with one of those balls 
lightly covered with ink used by printers, 
and impiessing it on wet paper. This is 
done to most advantage by a round stick 
covered with woollen cloth, rolled back- 
wards and forwards over the paper and 
leaf, 
A substitute may be adopted by rubbing 
and bruising the leaf, oiling it as before, 
and scattering powdered black lead, char- 
coal, or the powder of burnt cork on it, 
and pressing it on paper. Other colours 
may be used, prepared with butter or oil, 
of which blue-bice is the best, as it serves 
as a ground for colouring the leaf from na- 
ture. The back of the leaf must be ex- 
clusively preferred, as the fibres project 
on that side only. 
Stenciling is a process well calculated for 
multiplying of patterns, for working in mus- 
lin, &c. : when a print or drawing is to be 
copied in this way, it must be placed upon 
a sheet of white paper, and the outline 
pricked through both with a pin or needle ; 
the pierced sheet may then be laid on a se- 
cond clean one, and a muslin bag of pow- 
dered charcoal shaken or rubbed over it, 
when, upon removing the former, the latter 
will be found a perfect copy. 
The camera obscura makes the most pleas- 
ing representation of nature hitherto disco- 
vered, by which the external objects aie 
reflected on any plane w'ithin the chamber 
in the liveliest colours, and every leaf and 
animal appear in motion ; but unfortunately 
in a reversed position. The constructing 
of a camera obscura is a very simple opera- 
tion : close all the windows of an apart- 
ment, and leave a single circular aperture 
suited for the reception of a convex or 
plane convex lens in the shutter of that 
which faces the greatest variety of land- 
scape; then place any smooth white sur- 
face before it, at the proper distance, which 
is to be determined upon the same princi- 
ple as the movement of the glasses of a te- 
lescope, and every portion of the view will 
be exhibited on it. If the least ray of light 
makes its way through any other means, 
the effect will be destroyed ; and it will be 
heightened if the atmosphere is clear and 
the snu shines bright. 
The portable camera obscura resembles a 
wooden box or chest, furnished with a cir- 
cular or angular projection in the middle, 
opening from it and to be directed towards 
the landscape; beyond this aperture, and 
within the box, is placed a small mirror in- 
clined to an angle of 45 degrees, serving to 
reflect the exterior rays on a convex lens 
set in a tube, and the light streiuning from 
this will convey the true forms and colours 
of the landscape to a paper situated at the 
proper distance to receive them ; this beau- 
tiful picture is viewed through an oblong 
aperture, and may be copied with equal fa- 
cility and advantage; indeed the most ex- 
perienced artist may obtain hints from the 
camera obscura, which might escape his no- 
tice in drawing directly from reality. The 
literally darkened chamber furnishes the 
means of improvement, though some little 
contrivance is necessary to use them conve- 
niently, and obviate the unpleasant circimir 
stances attending the drawing of reversed 
objects ; it may, however, be recollected, 
that any thing drawn in this position w'ill 
become right on turning the paper ; or the 
person desirous of so doing may place the 
paper on some low article of furniture, and 
standing over it, view every part in its pro- 
per state ; but the portable camera ob- 
scura, being expressly intended for making 
of correct drawings, should be preferred, as 
it affords a hoi izontal plane for the hand to 
rest on conveniently. 
Transparencies were not long since ex- 
tremely fashionable, as blinds for windows, 
and substitutes for painted glass ; indeed 
authors and artists have been known to ven- 
ture quarto volumes on the subject. Their 
effect is certainly pleasing, wdien the lights 
