
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~107r~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




as heavy as before, and like a moderately thick paste & that it is
not so easy to handle, as when it is liquid. It is a sign that it is
cooked enough, which you will know when it also throws big bubbles or
exhalations in the middle & around, as long as a
finger. Seeing it in this state, remove it from the
fire for it is heated enough, because if you were to reheat more, it
would be too much & would not set as well. For, when it becomes red
& overheats, it loses its strength & spoils the sand. Leave it
to cool before mixing it within the other sands. And when it is cold,
mix and mold, for as soon as you will use it after its cooking, the
sooner it will set.


Catching lizards and snakes

Take a stick and attach a string at the end, which
has a knoteyelet slip
eyelet at the end. And, being two to three, to distract the
lizard while whistling, approach the eyelet towards his neck,
and when his head is inside, pull. The lizard is more
tedious to catch by hand than the snake &
bites without letting go & grips like pincers.

Snakes can be caught by hand, provided
that it is covered by a thick woollen cloth, for the
teeth of the snake stay in the cloth, & cannot
pierce like they would with a linen. The dangerous ones are
recognisable by their blue eyes & asses deep
azur azures. They hardly ever bite in
water, which crayfish catchers
experience.

The sand mixture is of two parts of plaster pulverized
& reheated as said, & of one part of tile,
reddened et pprein a good
fire, after the first cooking & then finely pulverized, and of
alum de plume, half of brick, namely two
full crucibles of plaster, one of brick
& a half of alum de plume. There can never be too
much alum de plume,s for this is
what gives bond to the sand, and because it does not burn, it makes sand
withstand the fire without cracking & bursting. Otherwise, without
it, the sand would not withstand it. This sand, thus composed, is proper
for all metals, but if you want to use it for gold, one
needs more alum de plume& than the above
mentioned composition, and mix in some crocum ferri, and
for it is this one that attracts gold.

It is necessary that all sand with which you want to cast well,
withstands the fire well, that is to say that it withstands
abonc a great firing without
getting spoiled.

Alum de plume is awkward to pestle, and it does not
pass through the sieve. Thusly one needs to grind it finely on
marble. And the one, white, que v
in powder, that apothecaries sell, is good. It is
grinds better su in the mortar by pestling
&dragging the pinon, thus you will render it very
fine.

Crocum ferri must be set ablaze in a
glassworker’s furnace for four
days.

