SOME  REMARKS  UPON  SHELLAC,  ETC. 
441 
for  their  larvae,  the  outer  or  specially  resin  coating  being  intend- 
ed for  the  shelter  and  protection  of  the  young.  It  is  about  the 
months  of  November  or  December  that  the  brood  make  their 
escape  from  their  previously  protected  habitations,  and  fasten 
themselves  in  their  turn  upon  the  small  branches.  As  these  in- 
crease (which  they  do  very  rapidly)  the  twigs  or  stems  become 
completely  covered,  and  at  a  particular  season  of  the  year  are 
collected,  placed  in  sacks,  and  carried  to  the  manufactory.  These 
encrusted  twigs  are  first  ground  in  a  mill  to  rough  powder,  and 
then  carried  away  to  what  is  called  the  dye  work  of  the  establish- 
ment. Here  troughs  are  ready  for  their  reception,  and  after 
being  immersed  in  water,  the  natives  commence  and  tread  upon 
the  material,  so  as  to  remove  the  dye  from  the  resin,  &c.,  and  as 
this  coloring  matter  is  solable,  it  is  in  a  short  time  taken  up  by 
the  water,  run  off  into  other  suitable  vessels,  fresh  water  added, 
and  the  process  continued,  with  the  addition  of  fresh  quantities 
of  water,  until  the  whole  is  completely  exhausted.  The  remains 
are  then  collected,  the  woody  fibre,  &c.,  got  quit  of,  and  the 
little  particles  which  remain  freed  almost  entirely  from  color, 
called  and  recognized  in  our  market  as  Seed  Lac.  The  different 
waters  which  have  thus  taken  up  in  solution  the  coloring  matter 
of  the  stick  lac,  is  run  into  cisterns  or  vats,  where  the  de- 
position in  course  of  time  takes  place,  and  then  the  powder  in 
the  form  of  paste  is  partially  dried,  put  into  square  cases, 
stamped,  and  thoroughly  dried,  forming  the  regular  lac  dye  of 
commerce.  It  is  sent  home  to  this  country  in  those  square 
blocks  and  reduced  to  powder  for  the  purpose  of  trade.  I  may 
as  well  dismiss  this  part  of  my  subject  by  stating,  that  this  dye 
is  used  very  largely  and  very  extensively  in  dyeing  woollen 
goods.  Struck  with  a  perchloride  of  tin,  it  becomes  a  fine  and 
very  beautiful  scarlet.  This  preparation  is  well  known,  being 
made  by  boiling  tin  in  hydrochloric  and  nitric  acids,  and  from 
its  general  use  for  the  above  purpose  has  commercially  received 
the  name  of  Lao  Spirits. 
The  great  commercial  importance  of  this  article  may  be  better 
understood  when  I  mention,  that  from  Calcutta  alone  the  an- 
nual export  is  supposed  to  be  very  nearly  four  millions  of  pounds' 
weight. 
