Then snip off the
hairs close to the skin, put them points downwards resting in a box, and
pick out the long hairs. After a sufficient quantity have been obtained
of about the same length, a piece of string is knotted tightly round
them, and pulled firm with the aid of two sticks. Then a quill, that has
been soaked in water for a day in order to soften it, is taken, and the
pinch of hair is put into the large end of the quill, points forward, and
pushed right through to the other end with a bit of stick, and so the
brush is made. The chinese paint-brush is a feather--a woodcock's feather
is often used. Feather, like hairs, must be washed in ox-gall.
Ink.--Excellent writing-ink may be made in the bush. The readiest way of
making it is to blacken sticks in the fire and to rub them well in a
spoonful of milk till the milk becomes quite black. Gunpowder or
lamp-soot will do as well as the burnt stick; and water, with the
addition of a very little gum, glue, or fish-glue (isinglass) is better
than the milk, as it will not so soon turn sour. Indian ink is simply
lamp-soot and some kind of glue: it is one of the best of inks. If pure
water be used, instead of gum or glue and water, the writing will rub out
very easily when dry, the use of the milk, gum, or glue being to fix it:
anything else that is glutinous will serve as well as these. Strong
coffee, and many other vegetable products, such as the bark of trees
boiled in water, make a mark which is very legible and will not rub.
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