Little Memorandum of Tincture for ye use of Mr. Banks drawn by his friend &c Ct. Lauragais [sic]', ca July 1772 (Series 06.125) - No. 0003

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The alumous dissolution which exalts ye colours, & fixes them;  but not equally on all substances.

     The woollen stuffs take the colours better than any other. and the silk ones better than Linen. -

     But one must always Try to get the colours by mere water, because if ye colours of a Vegetable be united to an earthy Rosin, it will then be sufficient, to have a good & permanent colour.

     If it does not appear very fine,you may put in that dissolution, some alum water to exalt it.

   If you make use of an alkaly to extract your tincture, then you need not make use of an alumous dissolution;  but well of water, in which you must put some Vitriolic acid. and Vice Versa.

    The use which ye otahitians [Tahitians] make of ye leaf wth ye Milky juice of the Fig, which gives a red colour, is grounded upon ye necessity of the Vitriolic acid, contain'd in that leaf in a way more or less extensive . -
& the little Duration of that colour depends on the reason that it is wanting of Basis -