white as a fleecy cloud, at one end of the hollow wall must be an opening, and a hollow tube or pipe must run along the wall, to impart the genial warmth of a neighbouring furnace or stove; at the other end there must be an opening in the form of the moon at the full, through this the vapour of smoke must escape. Silken, hempen, or bamboo lines must reach from end to end, and on these lines, the sheets of paper must be spread to dry."

To size the paper and render it fit for ink, they use the following preparation, they make a glue, somewhat similar to isinglass, from fish bones, these they chop up very small, and soak the mass in water which is continually renewed: when all oily impurity is extracted they add a due proportion of alum, which has been dissolved. Over the vessel in which this mixture is, a rod is laid, a cleft-stick is used for holding the sheet of paper during the process of dipping; as soon as the paper has been sufficiently saturated, it is withdrawn, by gently rolling it round the stick which has been laid over the vessel; the sheet of paper is afterwards hung to dry either near a furnace, as before described, or in the sun.

Tradition affirms that the use of ink was known to the Chinese 1,120 years before the Christian era, and the following trite but true remark, was made by the celebrated and learned Emperor, You-Yang, who reigned at the period before named:

"As the stone from which ink is made, to blacken engraved letters, can never become white; so a heart, defiled with impurity, will always retain its black hue."

The stone or earth here alluded to, is termed mee, by the Chinese, and is mixed with an equal quantity of water, being thus formed into a liquid sort of paste.

It is recorded that during the Tang dynasty, which was 625 years before the Christian era, the King of Corea used to send ink as well as paper, in payment of tribute to the Emperor of China. This ink was made from lamp-black, procured by burning aged pine-trees, and this substance was dissolved in size, made from hartshorn: this ink had a most brilliant lustre, appearing as if the character had been var-.

nished.

This Corean ink, excited the envy of the Chinese; as it was superior to their own, and they gradually improved upon their own manufacture, until in the tenth century of the Christian era, they made the ink which is now in use among them.

This ink is procured from lamp-black, which is obtained from various descriptions of wood, by burning the wood whilst oil is poured upon it to ignite the flame; during the period this mass is cooling, perfume is poured among it, to correct the unpleasant effluvia arising from the burnt oil. The mass is then pulverized, in a brazen vessel, water being mixed with it, until the liquid is the consistence of thick paste; this material is then put into moulds of various forms, which are tightly compressed, and are placed upon stoves to dry. When all moisture has completely evaporated, the ink is turned out of the moulds, being now compact, hard, stony substance, requiring to be mixed with water for use; and known to most of our

CHINA AND THE CHINESE.

readers as Indian, or Chinese ink. There is also a red ink made in China exactly in the above manner, with the exception of the coloring and purifying; the first is done by means of a powerful dye, the latter, by repeated burnings, and working the ashes after each successive burning.

The best ink is made in the province of Kiang-Nan, but whether the excellence arises from the superior skill of the workmen, or a peculiar wood being employed, we have never been able to ascertain.

The following is a Chinese receipt for making the best description of ink:

"Take ten ounces of lamp-black made from pines, the same quantity of the plants Ho-héang and Kansuang, add juice of ginger, of the pods of Chu-kiatsar-ko, five ounces; boil these four ingredients, in a brazen vessel filled with pure water, until all the good is extracted, pour the liquor into a porcelain vessel. The liquor must settle, then put on the stove to dissolve until it becomes the consistence of new honey; then to ten ounces of this mixture add four ounces of glue called O-kiao; this glue must be impregnated with three leaves of gold, the size of the palm of a man's hand, and two of silver the same size. To this mixture put ten ounces of lamp-black, beating the whole together with a flat wand of bamboo, then pour the liquid into moulds, and bury the moulds in the earth for the space of five days, when dig it up, take the ink from out the moulds, and it will be fit for use." The Chinese believe that this inky substance has certain medicinal virtues if kept until it begins to lose its colour, then it is administered

to adults in cases of dysentery, and to children who suffer from convulsions.

The ink which is used in printing, is a liquid which is made from lamp-black, which has been pulverized and exposed to the sun's influence, it is then diluted with pure water; great care being observed that no lumps or gritty substance is intermixed; a small proportion of glue or isinglass is then added, which has been previously melted, the liquid reduced to a proper consistency is left to cool, and when cold is immediately used.

The Chinese do not use pens for writing, but employ a species of hair-pencil, the handle of which is a fine reed, the pencil being made from the soft hair of an animal; usually a young rabbit. The pen, or brush, is held in a perpendicular position, as if the paper were to be perforated, they write from the top to the bottom of the page, in short lines, and like the Hebrews commence writing from the right to the left, thus the beginning of a Chinese book, would be the termination of ours.

The Chinese lay claim to the art of printing, which they assert was commonly practised in China, in the eighth century.

In the Mong-khi-pi-tán, vol. xviii. p. 81, we read the memoirs of Tchin-kouo, who received his doctor's degree A.D. 1056, (Bibliothéque Royale, Fourmont's property, No. 394, vol. xxiv.):

"They printed with engraved plates of wood at a period when the Thang dynasty (founded A.D. 618) had not yet lost its splendour, (alluding to the employment of stereotype plates of wood under the