fecula or sediment, found at the bottom of vessels wherein wheat has been steeped in water, of which fecula, after separating the bran from it, by passing it through sieves, they form a kind of loaves, which being dried in the sun or an oven, is afterwards cut into little pieces, and so sold. The best starch is white, soft, and friable, and easily broken into powder. Such as require fine starch, do not content themselves, like the starchmen, with refuse wheat, but use the finest grain. The process is as follows: The grain, being well cleaned, is put to ferment in vessels full of water, which they expose to the sun while in its greatest heat; changing the water twice a day, for the space of eight or twelve days, according to the season. When the grain boils easily under the finger, they judge it sufficiently fermented. The fermentation perfected, and the grain thus softened, it is put, handful by handful, into a canvas bag, to separate the flour from the hulls; which is done by rubbing and beating it on a plank laid across the mouth of an empty vessel that is to receive the flour.

As the vessels are filled with this liquid flour, there is seen swimming at top a reddish water, which is to be carefully scummed off from time to time, and clean water is to be put in its place, which, after stirring the whole together, is also to be strained through a cloth or sieve, and what is left behind put into the vessel with new water, and exposed to the sun for some time. As the sediment thickens at the bottom, they drain off the water four or five times, by inclining the vessel, but without passing it through the sieve. What remains at bottom is the starch, which they cut in pieces to get out, and leave it to dry in the sun. When dry, it is laid up for use.