mate of Pennsylvania well: there is therefore nothing to prevent our enjoying the agreeable condiment, of which it is the basis, except our own indifference. Accounts of the trials of the recipe will be thankfully received.

METHOD OF PREPARING THE CHINESE SOY.

By M.DE GRUBBENS: extracted from the Memoirs of the Academy of Sciences at Stockholm for 1803, first Quarter, by M. LINDBOM, captain of the Swedish Mines.*

THE transactions of the Swedish Academy for the year 1764 contain a description of the method of preparing soy, by the late captain Ekeberg; but as this description is incomplete as well as incorrect, since the real Chinese soy will not be obtained by following it, I am fully persuaded that M. Ekeberg never saw, nor was acquainted with, the true process for preparing this substance. There is reason to believe that he gave his description from the accounts of the Chinese, who are not always ready to speak the truth, as I observed during the five years I resided in China, when I wished to obtain complete information in regard to the method of managing a certain kind of silkworm which spins five or six times every year: the method of dyeing silk and cotton, and various other particulars in regard to the Chinese economy.

Having since obtained, for a very high price, certain information in regard to these points, I have seen how much their accounts differed from the truth. The case was the same when I wished to be made acquainted with the preparation of soy; but as I have now procured a very correct account of it, I think it my、 duty to communicate it to the academy.

Soy is prepared from a kind of beans, which are whiter and smaller than those of Turkey, the farina of wheat, salt, and water. The proportions are, 50 pounds of beans, 50 pounds of salt, 60 pounds of the farina of wheat, and 250 pounds of water.

After the beans have been well washed, they are boiled with well-water in an open pot for some hours, or until they become soft enough to be kneaded with the fingers. During the boiling

* From the Annales de Chimie, No. 148.

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they must be always covered with water that they may not be burnt. Care must be taken not to boil them too much if they are diluted, too much of the substance remains in the juice. When the beans are boiled they are put into large flat wooden tubs, or, as the Chinese do, into vessels made of thin broad splinters of bamboo, two inches and a half in depth and five feet in diameter. In the latter they are spread out to the depth of two inches. When they are sufficiently cooled to be touched with the hand, the farina of wheat is added, and well mixed with them; and this is continued till the whole farina is exhausted. When the mass becomes too dry for the farina to adhere to the beans, a little warm juice is added.

When the whole is well mixed, the mass is spread out in the tubs above mentioned, taking care that the strata are not more than an inch or an inch and an half in thickness. The mass is then covered, by placing over it a lid which exactly closes it. When it is observed that the mass becomes mouldy, and that heat is disengaged from it, which takes place in the course of two or three days, the cover must be raised up, by placing two rods below it, in order that the air may have free access. In the mean time a rancid odour is exhaled. If the mass assumes a green colour, it is a sign that every thing goes on well; if it begins to grow black, the cover is raised a little more, in order that the mass may be more in contact with the air. When the mass becomes completely black it is entirely spoiled.

As soon as it is observed that the whole mass is green and mouldy, which is generally the case in eight or ten days, the cover is removed, and the mass is exposed for some days to the air and the sun.

When the whole mass has become hard like a stone, it is cut into small fragments, which are thrown into an earthen pitcher, and 250 pounds of water, in which 50 pounds of salt are dissolved, are poured over them. The whole is well stirred; and the height which the water occupies in the pitcher is noted. In case one pitcher is not sufficient, the mass is put into several, taking care that each be proportioned to the quantity of the matter.

When the pitcher is thus filled it is placed in the sun. The matter must be regularly stirred and shaken every morning and evening, but at night care must be taken to put the cover on it to preserve the mass from the cold. This cover is made convex on the outside, that the rain may more readily run off from it, and it is employed also in the day-time, when it rains. The greater the heat of the sun, the more the preparation of the soy is accelerated. This operation in general is undertaken only in summer, and yet it continues for two or three months.

In proportion as the mass decreases by evaporation, well-water is added, and this is continued till the salt water has entirely dissolved both the farina and the beans. The pitcher is then left some days longer in the sun, in order that the solution may be so much the more perfect, as on this depends the good quality of the soy, and even during this time the matter must be stirred every day.

When the mass has become very succulent and oily, the whole is poured into bags, which are pressed to squeeze out the soy, which is then pure, and ready to be employed. It is not boiled, as M. Ekeberg asserts. It is then put into bottles, which are well closed. The Chinese, who deal in this article, put it into large pitchers. The soy, before it is squeezed out, is of a dark brown colour, but it afterwards becomes black.

The Chinese prepare from the refuse that remains two other kinds of soy. The first time they add 150 pounds of water and 30 pounds of salt: having squeezed this mass, they again pour over it 100 pounds of water, proceeding always in the same manner as above described.

The last two kinds are not strong, but very salt; especially that of the last extraction, the colour of which is always clear. These two kinds are the commonest in China. The difference between them is as 8, 4, 1.

In the year 1759, I prepared in this manner, in my lodgings at Canton, all the soy which I employed. I even brought some bottles of it to Sweden; it was succulent, oily, moderately salt, and entirely different from that usually sold in Europe: in regard to

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its taste it was equal to that of Japan, which is generally considered as the best.

This description is the more certain, as I always executed the preparation myself: I will even venture to assert, that it is that used to obtain soy of the best quality.

M. Ekeberg asserts that the soy is boiled, and that sugar, ginger, and other spiceries are added; but this is void of foundation, and cannot be true, since a Chinese pound of soy does not cost more than two canderins Chinese money, which are equal to one and one-third skilling Swedish.* This was the usual price during my residence in China, and there is no reason to believe that these ingredients were employed in the preparation of it. Besides, soy has no taste either of sugar or of spiceries; the prevailing taste is that of salt.

EXPERIMENTS AND OBSERVATIONS

On the saline or fixed ingredients of the Congress Spring, at Saratoga, in a letter from JAMES CUTBUSH to Dr. BENEZET, communicated to the Editor.f

SECTION I.

Examination of the saline matter of Saratoga.

EXP. 1. TO a sufficient quantity of pure water, I added the powder, and digested it for some time. The insoluble portion was separated by the filtre, and was repeatedly washed. A part of this solution was put into a wine glass, and some of the oxalate of pot-ash was added, which produced no change.

EXP. 2. Carbonate of ammonia, added in the same manner, produced no precipitate.

EXP. 3. Caustic pot-ash had no effect.

EXP. 4. Muriate of barytes gave a white precipitate, insoluble in muriatic acid.

· EXP. 5. Sulphate of silver, added in a similar manner, gave a copious precipitate.

* A canderin is equal to about 3 sous and 7 1-2 deniers French money. †The saline matter upon which these experiments were made, was brought by the publisher from the spring.

EXP. 6. Nitrate of silver had the same effect.

EXP. 7. Tincture of galls produced no change.

It may be proper to remark, that neither litmus nor turmeric paper were changed on immersing them into the solution, which therefore proves, that no excess of alkali nor acid was held in solution. These experiments shew, that the soluble part contained no lime (Exp. 1.), nor, indeed, any earthy matter (Exp. 2 and 3.)

Experiment 4 proves, that a sulphate was held in solution, and, from the former experiments, is an alkaline sulphate. The presence of a muriate was discovered by experiments 5 and 6, and from similar reasons, is an alkaline muriate. Experiment 7 shews the non-existence of iron.

These experiments are conclusive, and determine only the presence of neutral alkaline salts.

SECTION II.

Examination of the part which remained after the affusion

of water.

EXP. 8. To a portion of the dry powder, which was of a grey colour, I added some nitric acid: a violent effervesence was produced.

The acid was soon saturated; the solution was diluted with water, and filtered. The insoluble portion, which was exceedingly small, I concluded was silica.

EXP. 9. To a part of the nitric solution, oxalate of pot-ash was added. A precipitate, at first scarcely perceptible, but afterwards copious, was produced.

EXP. 10. Carbonate of potash added to another portion, occasioned a precipitate, which was soluble with effervescence in muriatic acid.

EXP. 11. Caustic potash also produced a precipitate.
EXP. 12. Carbonate of ammonia had the same effect.

EXP. 13. After the addition of carbonate of ammonia, the whole was filtered to separate the precipitate; and phosphate of soda was added to the filtered liquor. A copious precipitate now appeared.