CEMENT which quickly hardens in Water. This is described in the pothamous works of Mr Hooke, and is recommended for gilding live craw-fish, carps, &c. without injuring the fish. The cement for this purpose is prepared, by putting some Burgundy pitch into a new earthen pot, and warming the vessel till it receives so much of the pitch as will stick round it; then
Cement then strewing some finely powdered amber over the
Censor. pitch when growing cold, adding a mixture of three
pounds of linseed oil, and one of oil of turpentine, cover-
ing the vessel and boiling them for an hour over a
gentle fire, and grinding the mixture as it is wanted
with as much pumice-stone in fine powder as will
reduce it to the consistence of paint. The fish being
wiped dry, the mixture is spread upon it; and the
gold leaf being then laid on, the fish may be imme-
diately put into water again, without any danger of
the gold coming off, for the matter quickly grows
hard in the water.