The Pennsylvania ledger, or, The Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, & New-Jersey weekly advertiser — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-01-06 00:00:00, page 4

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Firtt, . To make the l,e.
Take a tub or tubs, according to the extent of your works, but
not to exceed the size of half a hogshead in depth, make a hole in
the bottom riear ope edge, fit a plug or fpile to it, lay a wisp of
draw over this hole,then fill the tub lightly with the earth which
you have found to contain Salt-petre, pour as much cold water on
it as will fill the tub to the brim, after it has soaked into the
earth, keep your tubs in a warm place that the water may not
freeze, and in about ten or twelve hours draw off the water at
the hole in the bottom, till it has all drained off ; this water will
have dissolved a great part ofdy Salt-petre that was in the earth
and runs off very foul, and is what we rad the lye.
Secondly, Of the bailing toft it for filtering.
Take any kind ofboder, and put your lye into it, in the foul
flare which it u as drawn off of the earth, cover your boiler with
a lid, and boil the lye away with a brisk ^re, to about one fifth
the quantity, ifrt Should be reduced something more or lefsit is
not material, this firft boiling being only to prepare the lye for
Draining, which is better done v ihile it is hot than while it iscold,
and the reducing of it in quantity makes the operation of filtering
it more expeditious.
Thirdly, To filter or flrain the l,e.
Prepare yourfelf with a cask which mull be proportioned to
the quantity of your lye, put a falfe bottom in it about two or
three inches above the true bottom, or otherwise make a kind of
lattice work with flrips ofbdards or small twigs in the fame man
ner as is used in setting common lye tubs; on the top of this falfe
bottom or lattice work, a layer of draw must be placed, the straws
being cut of a proper length to extend across the tub, and mull
be laid about two inches thick, as even and parallel with each
other as conveniently can be, over this another such layer of draw
niufl be put so as to crols it, and of about the fame thickneis,
this flraw must be prefled down, and confined by feme flips of
boards laid across it, tight within the tub, on this spread tome cut
flraw an inch or two in heighth, then add feme live ashes about
five inches thick, lastly have a piece of board about the size of a
plate, to place upon the top of the ashes, in order to break the
fall of the lye when poured into the tub The tub thus prepared
is called an asher. If the tub for this purpose should hot be pro
perly proportioned to the extent bf your works, as was before ob
served, the quantity of ashes may be too great, and you will be
disappointed of getting Salt-petre, having Pot-ash instead thereof.
At the Provincial Works their filtering vessels or asher will con
tain better than a barrel, in which they put near a bushel of ashes,
this is fufficient for the lye drawn from twenty tubs of earth at
lead, each the size of half a hogshead, of course where you have
but one such lye tub, the asher must be small in proportion, and
not have above one twentith part of thaCquantity of ashes; per
haps feme may think the ashes wholly unnecessary, but for their
information I would observe, that in general the Nitre will not
shoot into chryflals, without either ashes or pot-ash being added to
the Ive, it being absolutely necessary to detach 'the Salt-pet re
from other unfit fubflances which it had joined to in the earth.
The allies should be changed every fourth time your filtering
veffe' is used, but the other parts of the tub may continue so long
as von can refine your lye through it; this kind of filtering tub
will be scarcely necessary unless the making Salt-petre is intended
to be continued, then it will fully recompense the trouble and
expence of making it, as it refines the lye expeditioafly and well ;
if a tingle or a few experiments are only intended to be made, ten
or twelve inches depth of cut straw put into a calk with the proper
quantity of ashes above it will answer the end very well.
The filtering tub or asher being prepared, pour the lye after the
frfl b iling hot out of the boiler into the said tub, and draw it
gently off return it back again two or three times until it comes
off clear and fine.
Fourthly, Of the second boiling, to fe,arate the sea felt from the l,c
and to frengthen the l,e to ^r^ure it for cbyftalizing.
The lye which has been sufficiently refined by running through
the filtering vessel, must now be returned into the kettle and boiled
a second time, but with a more gentle fire towards the latter part
of the boiling, otherwiie it would be apt to boil over ; the boiler
mull be kept covered during this boiling in the fame manner as was
directed in the firft boiling. To know when the lye has boiled
away enough in order to feperate the salt, examine it from time
to time by putting about a fpeonful of it in a saucer and setting it
in a place to cool, if it isofa proper strength a great part of the
lye will harden and shoot in the form of chryflals, or sometimes
in grains if the quantity of sea salt be great; when this is the case
the lye is boiled almost enough.
When the lye is boiled to this strength if there is any sea salt it
will fettle to the bottom of the boiler, and should be taken out
with a Ikimmer, and put into a suitable vessel, for the Salt-petre
lye to drain off into the kettle: this salt retains some Salt-petre
in it, and is said to be very suitable to cure meat with, and by a
further refining may be purified fit for table use.
The reason aligned for the sea fait's fettling to the bottom is,
that water will melt the falr-petre more readily than it does sea
salt, but when the lye is weak or has more water in it than is,
barely fufficient to dissolve the Salt-petre, it will then dissolve
some sea salt, but as soon as the water is boiled away so much
that there remains only enough to dissolve the Nitre, the sea salt
then fettles to the bottom, for the Nitre lye of this strength has
no more power to dissolve the sea salt, than water has to dissolve
a done.
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POET's CORNER.
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From the Lyon's Mouth.
The W I S H.
IN these uncertain tr^nfient scenes below,
Where hope and fears alternate ebb and flow ;
Where each by various whims and passions toft,
In puzzling mazes frequently are loft :
Grant me the blessing of one female friend,
On whom with confidence I may depend;
Of foul sincere, in useful knowledge wife,
In' time of grief prepar'd to sympathize;
Her mind like fun-Shine of the brightest day,
To glad the heart and praise the genial ray,
Who has no thoughts which friendlhip need conceal,
Nor e'er a secret purpose to reveal:
Warp'd by no paxlion, private ehd, or fame,
Alike our interests, and our minds the fame;
Who freely can without reserve impart,
Each gen'rous impulse riling in her heart.
As thro' this vale of misery I go,
Oh ! may 1 (till the ' sweets of friendfhip know!
And grant me, Pow'rs ! out of your ample store,
Health, peace, one faithful friend, I ask no more.
En AMORATA.
After all the sea salt is taken out which can be done by this
method, continue the boiling until about one fourth of the re
maining lye is boiled away, then it must be put into a tub large
enough to contain the whole of it ; this tub is called the fender,
and is something broader at bottom than at top, having a tap fixed
about two inches above the bottom ; let the liquor hand in this
tub till it is nearly as cold as new milk, by which time the gross,
foul matter which will notdiffolve in the water will have fettled
When you have taken all the sea salt out of the kettle, put into
the liquor while a boiling about one quarter of an ounce of pow
dered allum for every 2§lb. of Salt petre, and in proportion for
any other quantity, it will occahon it to boii violently and a great
foul feum to rife, take off the foulnefs, and have tome cool water
at hand to add to prevent he liquor from boiling over, which it
would otherwise do; you mutt continue the coiling a little while
after the addition of the allum, then tike the kettle off the fire,
cover it over with a coarse wet linen cloth, and lay a covet of
boards over that, let it in a cool place in a cellar &c. where it
mull remain about two or three days, then pour off the liquor, or
ipother lye, and drain off the Salt petre by setting the kettle an
edge, when drained turn the kettle bottom upwards for to get
your Salt petre^out, which will by this time be formed in a
handlome cake, if it is not luftict'ently refined this time, repeat
this sixth part of the p ocefs over again and you will have it fuffi
cienily fine for any purpole, then put yurcake on a heap of dry
ashes, which will imbibe and draw off all the moitture that re
mained in the cake, if not, renew the heap of ashes till it does.
Titis concludes the whole butinels of extracting and refining Salt
petre fit for the Powder mallei, as it is practifed at the Provincial
W^ks.
rr°, H E foregoing process has already had the experience of
many persons in the province, ind parti ulariy in the city
l of Philadelphia and town ot York-—it is firnpie, and may
be praftifed in fannies without any additional expence of fuel, or
even of labour, as it only requires the oversight of any perlon in
the evening a ter the work of rhe day is concluded. Ihe
process is hereby described with such precision and exaAn is, the
Committee have teafon to think few or none will fail in the un
dertaking, but if that should sometimes be the case, in the firft
attempt, from too little attention to the directions given, a &
cond would d übilefs succeed.
The Assembly of this province have granted a premium of£z§
per hundred weigh:, which is ts per pound, for all the Salt
petre made in this province, and thrown into the publ c magazines
—and the Committee of Safety, through whose hands the premi
um is to pass, do hereby, for the next three months, leave it in
the option of the makers of this article to receive 1-4 of the
weight thereof in Gun-powder, to be delivered to the several
persons appointed co take in the Salt-petre in the different counties
within this province, the names of whom will be published soon.
The Committee need not remark to any intelligent and sensible
man in the province, the indifpenfible necefficy there is ofinflantly
providing ourselves with large qualities of Gun-powder—when
the quarrel between the Mother Country and the Colonies is
drawing co a hafly decision by arms, when the ministry threaten .
to overwhelm us the ensuing year, with numerous mercenary
foldiets, brought even from the most diflant and barbarous nation
in Europe—at a time too, when, from the wicked vigilance and
industry of this ministry, every court in Europe has been solicited
and prevailed on so far, to aid their designs against our liberties,
as to refufe felling us cither arms or ammunition, —But thanks to
Almighty God, we have those means and resources within our
selves, which, if not fhamefully neglected and overlooked, will
confound all their artifices and conspiracies ; the principal of these
is the knowledge of making Salt-petre, by which we may in a
very short time, ifit is pra&ifed by every family in the country,
Who are surrounded by abundant materials for the purpose, be re
lieved from the necessity of depending on a precarious fapply of
Gun-powder,purchafed at a ruinous expence in foreign countries.
That chis is not a fallacious representation or a deceitful hope,
held out to the people, will appear from this consideration, that
5 pounds of Salt-petre, which may be made in as many days, pro
duced from 20,00® families, would afford a flock of Gun-powder
for a large army, leaving a sufficiency for cannon both for forts
and batteries, and for the field.
The Committee, in this publication, hold out every motive to
invite their countrymen to this undertaking, that can poffibiy en
gage the human heart—There is the love of the public good
which, they doubt nor fully pofifeffes almost every breast—-there
is interest—should these strong incentives alone not be of fufficient
energy to overcome the reluftance natural to some to engage in
any work that has the appearance of novelty—there is the love of
pleasure, which, among sportsmen, can be gratified, at present, in
no other way, but by a criminal breach of a regulation dilated by
felf evident necessity.
The Committee- from these considerations, cannot entertain a
doubt of extracting immediately from this source the richest trea
sures—to a free people more val uable than rhe mines of Peru or
Mexico to their possessors, it is affording them a certain means of
defending their natural and chartered rights, and handing them
down, unimpaired, a fair inheritance to their children and chil
dren's children, to the latest posterity.
By Order of the Committee of Safety,
WILLIAM govett, c>u<.
NAIL R()1) S,
Of different sizes, to be had of
JOSEPH POTT S,
At his Store in Sixth-ttreet, near Market-street, and
at the Slitting-Mill in Chester county.
Mr. Burke's Speeches,
With sundry others on American Affairs,
To be had of the Printer.
to the bottom, and amongst it there ufaally is a good deal of sea
salt, as the liquor is not capable of retaining so much salt dissolved
in it after it has cooled as while boiling ; the liquor is now ready
for chryftalizing, which forms the filth part of the process.
Fifthly, To Cbryftaliie the Salt petre.
Having any kind of a vessel, either of metal, wood, &c. pro
vided it is large enough ; at the Provincial Works they have small
tubs that will contain about three gallons each ; the liquor prepared
for chiyflalizing by the former part of the process is drawn out of
the dander by the tap into these tubs as long as it will run tolerable
clear, filling them a out two thirds full, then set these tubs in a
coot cellar and let them remain there twenty hours ar lead, if it
has been boiled fufficiently the Salt-petre will be formed into
beautiful chryttals, but somewhat foul; pour off the liquor that
remains and set the tubs ?n one edge to drain ; this liquor is called,
the Mother Lye, and should be returned into the kettle with your
next boiling, or may be further boiled down by itfelf and set out
to chryllahze again, as it is very Itrong of Salt-petre; it there
should no Salt-petre be fettled in your tubs after Handing the time
directed it is a sign that your liquor has not been boiled enough,
therefore you should return it again into the kettle, and boil it
about one half away, proceeding as ha- been already directed to
separate the lea salt, &c.
Sixthly, Of the refining.
When you have a fufficient quantity of Nitre made, you may
proceed to refine it, which is performed thus Put your Nitre
into a boiler that will hold about one third more than your quan
tity of Nitre, add as much water as will cover the whole mass
one inch, after it has soaked through it put it on a gentle fi,e ? keep
continually flirting it quite to the bottom till the Salt-petre has all
diff Ived, take off the foul tcum as it riles, which you must con
tinue to do as long as any appears, when the feum has nearly done
riling the sea salt must be taken from the bottom of the kettle with
a Ikimmer, and which sometimes is nearly one sixth part of the
Salt-pe re ; it will be proper for you to taste this as you take it out
of the kettle, or you will be apt to be deceived by its appearance
while wet, by its refcmblance to the wet Nitre which you have
in the kettle to refine, but it is readily duhnguilhed from it by
the taste.
By Desire of some the Members of the Honourable
the American Continental Congress, and some
of the Military Officers of the Association, the
following PROPOSALS, are laid before all
who chufe to encourage the Publication of the
Work.
THE
MILITARY GUIDE
FOR
YOUNG OFFICERS.
By THOMAS SIMES, Esquire.
This Work is a large and valuable Compilation
from the most celebrated Military Writers—.
Marlhal Saxe—General Bland—King of Prussia,
Prince Ferdinand—&c. &c. Containing the Expe^
rience of many brave Heroes in critical Situati
ons, for the Use of young Warriors; including
an excellent Military, Historical and Explanatory
DICTIONARY.
CONDITIONS.
I. Ar 1 HE American Edition of SIMES's
JL Military Guide, will be printed on
the fame Paper and Type with the Specimen, and
neatly bound in two Oftavo Volumes. Each Vo
lume will contain about 300 Pages. Price to Sub
scribers THREE DOLLARS—And to Non
fubferibers, the Price will adually be FOUR
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11. No Money expected until the Delivery of the
Work, which, with great Expedition, will be about
the latter end of December, 1775.
*, Subscriptions are gratefully received
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Third-street, and by ROBERT AITKEN,
Printer and Bookseller, in Front-street, opposite
the London Coffee-houfe, Philadelphia, (where
the Names of those Gentlemen who have examined
the Book, and do approve of its Publication may
now be seen.) Also by all the Booksellers in Ame
rica.
RU N away from the fubferiber, a malato boy
named WILLIAM NEWTOWN, about
sixteen years of age, about four feet eleven inches
high ; had on when he went away, a long brown
coat broke at the elbows, a blue jacket, a pair of
black leather breeches, a half worn beaver hat ma
carony fafhion, a pair of light blue worsted flock
ings mended in the heels, a pair of old ffioes, an old
white shirt. Whoever takes up the said William
Newtown, shall have TWO DOLLARS reward paid
by me GEORGE MILLWARD, at the sign
of Hudibrafs near the barracks.
N. B. All captains of vessels are forwarned not
to take the said servant out.+
Just Published and To be Sold, By
JAMES HUMPHREYS, JONR.
The corner of Black-horse Alley, in Front-street,
THE WORKS
OF THE MUCH ESTEEMED
FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS,
IN FOUR VOLUMES LARGE OCTAVO,
Being a compleat History of the rile, progress,
and final ruin of the most remarkable nation that
ever existed in the world.
CONTAINING:
THE life of Flavius Josephus, written by
himfelf.
The antiquities of the Jews in twenty books—
giving a history of the rife and progress of the Jew
ish nation, with a particular account of their laws,
manners, customs, and ceremonies.
His book against Appion, in two parts.
The Jews wars with the Romans, in seven books:
The most dreadful and bloody that perhaps ever
happened; in which 1,100,000 were destroyed, and
97-000 taken prisoners of war.
The Martyrdom of the Maccabees.
Philo's embassy from the Jews of Alexandria to
the Emperor Caius Caligula.
*, The character of this elegant Historian is
universally known in the literary world, and great
ly approved of.
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Translated from the FRENCH.
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