tion of caustic potash, to this add, of Castile soap in powder, 4 parts, triturate till the whole assumes a proper consistency.

SHAVING SOAPS.-Shaving Paste.-1. White soft soap, 4 (z.; finest honey soap, 2 oz.; olive oil, 1 oz.; water, or 2 tablespoonfuls; carbonate of soda, 1 dram. Melt together and form a paste, adding a little proof-spirit and scent at will. Some melt with the soap about 1 dram of spermaceti. Produces a good lather with either hot or cold water, which dries slowly on the face. 2. Hard soap in small shavings, 2 oz.; best soft soap, 6 oz.; melt by the aid of a water bath; add, on cooling, oil of cloves, 1 dram; tincture of ambergris, 20 drops. Cream Soap.-Take white, soft, lard potash soap, recent, but moderately firm, and beat in small portions at a time, in a marble mortar, until it forms a white homogeneous mass; add sufficient essential oil of almonds, supported with a little oil of bergamot, or of cassia, put in during the pounding.

Shaving Essence or Fluid.-1. White hard soap, in shavings, lb.; rectified spirit, 1 pint; water, pint; perfume to taste. Put them into a strong bottle, cork tightly, set it in warm water for a short time, and occasionally agitate it briskly until solution is complete. After standing, pour off the clean portion from the dregs into clean bottles for use, and at once closely cork them. If the solution is not sufficiently transparent, a little rectified spirit should be added to it before decantation; a little proof-spirit may be added if it is desired to render it thinner. If much essential oil is used to perfume it, the transparency of the product will be lessened. 2. White soft soap, lb.; liquor of potassa, 2 fluid drams; rectified spirit, 1 pint. Perfume to taste. Proceed as before. The product of both is excellent. By rubbing two or three drops on the skin, and applying the shaving brush, previously dipped in water, a good lather is produced. The choice of perfume is a matter of taste, 15 to 20 drops of essence of musk or ambergris, 1 fluid dram of any of the ordinary fragrant

essences, or 12 to 15 drops of essential oil, simple or mixed, to a pint, are sufficient for the purpose.

SOAP BALLS. These are usually made of one or other of the toilette soaps with the addition of a little starch; sometimes sand is used in place of the starch.

Camphor Savonette.-Spermaceti, 2 oz.; camphor, powdered with the addition of a little spirits, 1 oz.; white curd soap, melted with a little water, 24 oz.; amalgamate with a gentle heat and mould into balls.

Sand Ball.-Fine old yellow soap, 2 parts; silver sand, 1 part; scent to taste; melt the soap and mix in the sand, afterwards adding the scent and making into balls.

Marble Working.-Marbles are generally cut up in the same direction in which they are quarried; this is known as sawing with the grain. Sometimes it is necessary to cut them against the grain, which renders them more difficult to work. Some marbles can only be sawn in the direction in which they are cut up. The marble worker is often obliged to rough hew and work without the help of the saw, casings, columns, and other articles with curved outlines; sometimes, but rarely, he re-works with the chisel badly-executed sawings; he then squares each piece with the saw or chisel to the required dimensions, and finally mounts the marble upon its stone core, and sets up the work in its place. The working of mouldings takes much time and trouble; the first operation is to saw the arris, then to work with a notched chisel, making several successive groovings, on account of the contour and expansion, in which but very small pieces of the material are taken, for fear of splintering it; finish with small common chisels, which should be sharp and well tempered. Cylindrical pieces, such as round pedestals, columns, urns, and vases, are worked with a chisel, and then, if portable, finished on a turning lathe, When it is impossible to place the pieces in a lathe, they are thickly grooved, bolstered with the puncheon, and the desired contours obtained by means of thick panels; they are then worked

When fine pieces are found, endeavour to cut them into two or three parts, in order to multiply them, cutting them in such a manner that these happy accidents inay be reproduced according

to taste.

VENEERING WITH MARBLE.-Veneering upon Wood.-Veneering upon wood is preferable, in every respect, to that on stone. For this purpose, as marble, particularly the black, would break by heating it in the usual manner, place the slabs of marble in a caldron, tightly closed, in which let them boil. Then take them from the caldron, and after this preliminary operation, subject the marble to the heat of the fire to receive a mastic of tar. The wood having been prepared in a similar manner, press the marble, coated with the mastic, upon the wood, and a perfect cohesion is effected. The cases of ornamental clocks are hollow, for the movement of the pendulum and other works. This hollowing cannot be effected on stone without detriment to its solidity. When wood is used, a frame is made of it, upon the exterior parts of which marble is to be veneered. The mixture of glue with tar found an improvement in effecting this veneering.

VENEERING ON METALS.-As these possess a smooth surface, the substance which should fasten them to the marble cannot incorporate itself with them intimately enough to join both and render them inseparable. It is there fore necessary to interpose between the metal and the marble a third body, which should force them to perfectly adhere; this is effected by the use of sand-paper.

Marble on Zinc.-Take a plate of zinc of about of an inch thick; make a frame of this of the form of whatever article may be wished; upon this form glue sand-paper, leaving the rough side outermost, and upon this rough side apply the marble, having first prepared it by heating in a water bath, and placing between the marble and the sand-paper a coating of mastic of tar. By this means, so perfect an adhesion between the marble and the zinc is

effected, that the marble could be easier broken than removed. The application of marble upon zinc can also be effected by grooving the metal in every direction with strokes of the file, but the sandpaper produces the best results. Zinc is preferred to other metals, because it possesses resistance and cheapness, and causes no other expense in the manufacture than that of cutting up to form the model. Tin does not possess the same resistance or cheapness; sheet iron is dearer; cast iron is too heavy; copper is expensive; by the application of marble upon zinc, articles can be manufactured at the same price as those veneered upon wood. In fastening marble to the metallic plating, the tar which is used in the application of marble to stone will not be sufficient. The parts must first be heated in a water bath, or over a furnace prepared for this purpose, and then, by a sieve, sprinkled with one of the following mordants;-Crushed glass, grains of emery of all sizes, copper filings, cast. ings of any metal, finely-rasped lead, or any kind of powdered stone, such as sandstone, marble, granite, or pumicestone, and india-rubber, can also be used. When the sheets of metal and of marble have received sufficient mordant, join with a coating of tar, which fastens them strongly together. Any web of linen or cotton can be placed between the marble and the metal; this web being covered with grainy substances, stuck on by glue.

Marble Veneer on Boxes.-The marble is first sawn to thickness and form required for the dressing case or box to which it is to be applied. The wood, usually white wood, oak or fir, is cut a little smaller than the marble which is to cover it. This wood is lined with a shaving of beechwood, to prevent warping. This lining is only placed on the side which is to receive the marble; each piece of marble is then applied to the corresponding piece of wood, and stuck on by glue or other mastic. When the marble has been applied, the opposite side of the wood is thinly lined with rosewood or mahogany, so that

this lining forms the inside of the box, which is thus prepared for receiving the necessary divisions. The four parts are then dovetailed together, and the top and bottom parts fastened flatwise on the four sides with glue or mastic. The box being finished, the outside is pumiced and polished, and any applications of gilding can be made.

Sculpture of Marble by Acids.-Prepare a varnish by pulverizing Spanish sealing wax, and dissolving it in spirits of wine. Trace on the white marble, with a crayon, the design which is to be formed in relief, and cover this delicately with a brush dipped in the varnish; in about 2 hours the varnish will be dry. Prepare a dissolvent of equal parts of spirits of wine, hydrochloric acid, and distilled vinegar; pour this solution upon the marble, and it will dissolve those parts which are not covered by the varnish. When the acid has ceased to ferment, and, consequently, will no longer dissolve the marble, pour on some fresh, which continue until the ground is sufficiently grooved. When there are delicate lines in the design which should not be grooved so deeply, they should at first be covered with varnish, to prevent the action of the acids upon them; then, when the reliefs have been made, the marble should be well washed, and the varnish removed from these delicate lines with the point of a pin; then pour on new acid, which will groove it as deeply as desired, care being taken to remove it at the proper time. When the acid has acted upon the marble, it corrodes beneath the varnish, and enlarges the lines in proportion to its depth; therefore draw the lines in relief a little larger than it is desired to leave them. When the work is completed, remove the varnish with spirits of wine, and, as the grounds will be very difficult to polish, they may be dotted with ordinary colours diluted with the varnish of gum lac. The marble being thus grooved, the cavities may be filled in inlaid work with gold, silver, tin, sealing wax, sulphur, crushed pearl shell reduced to powder. These designs can be made either in moulding or in relief,

without changing or injuring the marble; every sort of writing, however delicat e it may be, can also be thus traced; and the execution is very rapid, whether in groovings inlaid with gold or silver, or in relief, which can also be gilded or silvered.

Mastic for Repairs.-Mastic for stopping up holes, leakages, or cracks in marbles, is made with gum lac, coloured, as nearly as possible, to imitate the marble upon which it is used. Sometimes the gum is mixed with marble dust passed through a silken sieve; in other cases little pieces are used, which are cut and adjusted in the hole to be repaired, and glued there with the gum mastic-the precaution being first taken to heat the marble and the pieces, and to take measures for producing a perfect cohesion.

Cement Mastic.-1. Thick mastic is composed of 2 parts wax, 3 of Burgundy pitch, and 8 of rosin; melt and throw into spring water to solidify the paste, then roll it into sticks, and, in using it, melt only so much as is immediately required, this will preserve its strength, as it becomes more brittle by repeated heating. 2. Corbel mastic is used in seams of the flagging of stairways and terraces. Six parts of the cement of good Burgundy tile without any other mixture, pass it through a silken sieve, add 1 part of pure white-lead, and as much litharge, steep the whole in 3 parts of linseed oil and 1 of lard oil, and preserve in cakes or rolls as the preceding. All the materials used should be thoroughly dry, so that they may perfectly mix with the oil which unites them. 3. Fountain mastic is made of the rubbish of stoneware or of Burgundy tile, amalgamated with thick mastic in such a manner as to form a paste proportioned to the use for which it is required; this is one of the easiest to prepare. 4. Mastic of filings is employed in places which are usually damp, cr which constantly receive water, as curb stones, flaggings of kitchens, bath-rooms and water-closets, and stone troughs composed of several pieces, either separate or clasped. This mastic is composed of

26 lbs. of iron filings, or of iron and copper, which must not be rusty, 43 lbs. of salt, and 4 garlics; this is infused for 24 hours into 3 pints of good vinegar and urine; it is then poured off, and the thick paste which is found at the bottom of the vessel is the mastic, which should be immediately used. These mastics should be used upon materials which are perfectly dry, otherwise they do not incorporate well. Choose dry weather, and open the seams well with a curved, sharp instrument, finally polishing them with the chisel. Before laying the mastic, remove the dust from the seam by blowing into it with bellows; a long, straight, iron chafing dish, closed at the bottom, with the grate elevated about an inch to obtain a current of air, is then passed over the seam; this chafing dish is filled with burning charcoal, the heat of which draws out the moisture from the stone or marble. The slightest dust or dampness hinders the adherence of mastic.

Cold Mastic.-Hydrochlorate of ammonia, 2 parts; flour of sulphur, 1 part; iron filings, 16 parts. Reduce these substances to a powder, and preserve the mixture in closely-stopped vessels. When the cement is used, take 20 parts of very fine iron filings, add 1 part of the above powder, mix them together, adding sufficient water to form a manageable paste; this paste, which is used for cementing, solidifies in 15 days or 3 weeks, in such a manner as to become as hard as iron.

Masons' Mastic. - Pulverized baked bricks, quick-lime, wood ashes, equal parts. Mix thoroughly, and dilute with olive oil. This mastic hardens immediately in the air, and never cracks beneath the water.

STUCCOES.-Stucco is a composition of slacked lime, chalk, and pulverized white marble tempered in water, designed to imitate different marbles used in the interior of buildings or monuments. Calcined plaster of Paris is also used. Although the plaster becomes very hard when properly calcined, it is too porous to admit the polishing of it as of marble. To remedy this, the plaster is diluted

with glue or gum water, which, filling the pores, allows a polish to be given it. Some mix the glue with islinglass or gum arabic. Hot glue water is used for the solution of the plaster, as the want of solidity of the plaster demands that a certain thickness should be given to the works; to lessen expense, the body or core of the work is made of common plaster, which is covered with the composition just described, giving it about an inch in thickness. When the work is dry, it is polished in nearly the same manner as real marble. Pumice stone may be used. The work is rubbed by the stone in one hand, the other holding a sponge filled with water, with which the spot which has just been rubbed is instantly cleansed, to remove what had been left on the surface of the work; the sponge should be frequently washed and kept filled with fresh water. It is then rubbed with a linen cushion, with water, and chalk, or tripoli stone. Willow charcoal, finely pulverized and sifted, is substituted for this to penetrate better to the bottom of the mouldings, water being always used with the sponge, which absorbs it. The work is finished by rubbing it with a piece of felt soaked with oil, and finely powdered with tripoli stone, and afterwards with the felt moistened with the oil alone. When a colour is wished in the ground, dilute it in the glue water, before making use of it to temper the plaster. When any particular marble is to be imitated, dilute with warm glue water, in different small pots, the colours which are found in the marble; with each of these colours temper a little plaster, then make of each a lump nearly as large as the hand, place these lumps alternately one above another, making those of the prevailing colour more numerous, or thicker. Turn these lumps upon the side, and cut them in slices in this direction, instantly spreading them upon the core of the work, or upon a flat surface. By this means the design of the various colours with which the marble is penetrated will be represented. In all these operations the glue water should be warm without which the plaster will