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274
the morning, when it will cease bulbing intirely. You shoud have an Iron Rod
flatted at the End like a Broad Chizzle which shou'd be frequently used in
Stirring the Salts & scraping the sides of the Boilers in this part of the operation.
The Salts being quite dry, the Fire must be rais'd to as great a highth as the Furnace
will admit off by the Dryest Split wood, which will turn the Salts to a
black Crust, & by continuing to keep the Fire to the highest Degree for about
three hours it will become Liquid & of a blood Colour. this is what is calld
Fluxing & will operate gradually under the black Crust which may be some
times broke up & stirred together. The Boilers will appear Red hott.
when the whole is thoroughly disolv'd & the Liquid thin, the Crust at top not
thicker then parchment, which may be stirred in & the whole Laded out into
the Coolers, which should be heat as well as the Laddle for this purpose,
it will be Cool enough to turn out the next morning & must be broken up &
packt Close in tight Casks. Barrells full Bound are best. Cold Lye or any
Cold Liquid thrown into the Boilers when Red hot will have the same
Effect as Fire to Gun Powder.
A Caracts is the 128th part of the weight of the Lye Containd in your Phial
Let the Size be what it will. a half pint Phial is generally used. small Pumps
shou'd be used to Convey the Lye as occasions requires, these Pumps
shoud be made of Pitch Pine. 500 Bushells of ashes are generally Computed
to a Ton of Pot Ash. Cost in Boston from 6d/2 @ do. P Bushells, besides
the Expence of fetching them [?] was [?] . The ashes in Sea Ports in this Province
do not produce Pot ash so good as the Country Ashes, suppos'd to be occasiond
by a mixture of marine Salts. the wood being frequently wet with Salt
water in transporting it to market, besides the Sea Sands used on the
floors being swept into the Chimney among the Ashes, & other Impurities
from Charcoal Ashes &c. reduce the value at Home near 30 P Ct. it will
be best to have a manufacturer with you before you Errect your works
that not mistake may be made, most of them here can assist in the building
them as Carpenters & masons. the Common Coolers made use
of are Iron Kettles that Contain about 11 or 12 Gallons
Mr. Thomas Smith