GIGARTINA SPINOSA. Grey.
Eucbema spinosum, Ag. I Facuslichenoides, I non Linn.
Kyouk puen, . . BUM. I Agar-agar, . . Mane.
Edible sea-weed is found in the Andamans and at Termoklee Island. The Chinese collect it on their coast to a great extent, using it in the arts and also for food. It affords an excellent material for glues and varnishes. It is simply boiled, and the transparent glue obtained is brushed upon a porous kind of paper called sha-cbi, which it renders nearly tmnsparent. It is also used as a size for stiffening silks and gauze, and is extensively. em ployed in the manufacture of lanterns and in the preparation of paper for lattices and windows. This and other kinds of fuel are boiled down to a jelly by the islanders on the south, and extensively used for food. It is also mado into a sweet glutinous jelly, called in Canton, Wong-leung-fan, which is used as a sweetmeat, and sold on stills in the streets. It is brought from New Holland and New Guinea and other adjacent islands. Between 400 and 500 pikuls are imported annually by the Chinese, at a prime cost of from ono to two dollars per pikul. Its cheapness and admirable qualities as a paste render it worthy the attention of other countries ; when cooked with sugar, it resembles calf's-foot jelly. Of the three kinds of agar-agAr sent to tho Exhibition of 1862 from 31alacca, the first quality was frotn a sort of tripe de-roche, au edible sea-weed which grows on the rocks that aro covered by the tide. It is much used for making a kind of jelly, which is highly esteemed both by Europeans and natives for the delicacy of its flavour, and is exported to China at 19s. per 133i lbs. The agar-agar of the second quality from Macassar and the Celebes, is an edible sea-weed collected on tho submerged banks in the neighbourhood of Macassar by tho Baju Laut or sea gipsies, for exportation to China, at 12s. 6d. per 133i lbs. The agar-rmar of Singapore is collected on the reefs and rocbky submerged ledges
.in the neighbourhood of Sing:spore, and constitutes tho bulk of tho cargoea Of the Chinese junks on their return voyages. It is much used as a size for stiffening silks, and for making jellies. The quantity shipped from Singapore is about 10,000 pikuls annually. Though deserving of being better known, it does not appear to be an article of Indian import, or, if so, it is brought in under some other name.—Ilon. A. Itlorrisou; Exhib. Jur. Reports and Catalogue; Simmonds; Tomlinsou; Williams' lifiddle Kingdom, p. 275. See Ceylon 3foss ; Edible Sea-weed ; Gign.rtina tenax.
GIL. Pmts. Earth, clay.
Gil-i-Abrorshi, a rough, hard, not brittle, pink earth, only used in native medicine ; properly speaking, a deposit from a. mineral spnng con taining sulphur. The sediment is collected and made into little mkes. But the Hagan dhup ordinarily seen in the bazar is a mere imitation, consisting of some earthy clay mixed with ground sulphur and formed into cakes, called probably 3foses' Stone, from its latnellar structure, as if the tables of the law given on Sinai had been on slate tablets.
Gil-i-Farsi, a pink earth.
Gil-i-Innani, Armenian bole, not now used in European medicine, but formerly so employed, and still used by natives.
Gil-i-Khardya, a red earth.
Gil-i-Kiria, a soft, Ituninated, nearly white clay, resernbling chalk in appearance, henco probably tho name.
Gil-i-3fakhttun, a soft, rough, irregular, varie gated marl, containing clay, deeply coloured by peroxide of iron,mixed with nearly white carbonate of lime.
Gil-i-3fultani, fullers' earth. A soft, laminated white or pale yellow earth, used by the natives for cleaning their hair, and in medicine.
Gil-i-Safed, chalk, Calcis carbonas.
Gil-i-Zttrd, pale yellow, tough, laminated earth, intermediate in colour between geru and gil-i-Afultani, but resembling both in appearance. —Powell.
GIL, a culivator race E. of Ferozpur, who claim to be offspring of Jat mothers and Itajput fathers.