The cloth of which the balloon-case was made was then cleaned by means of soda and potash, obtained by the incineration of plants, in such a way that the cotton, having got rid of the varnish, resumed its natural softness and elasticity; then, exposed to the action of the atmosphere, it soon became perfectly white.
Las telas de la cubierta del aerostato fueron desengrasadas después con sosa y potasa, obtenidas por la incineración de plantas, de tal suerte que el algodón, desembarazado del barniz, recobró su flexibilidad y elasticidad naturales; y sometido luego a la acción decolorante de la atmósfera, adquirió una blancura total.