and Sempervivum glutinosum. 397 
as well as of the Canaries, grows in the greatest abundance on 
the rocks in all parts: and though particularly plentiful on the 
sea-cliffs, it is by no means confined to maritime situations, but 
occurs in almost equal abundance in the interior to a consider- 
able elevation. All parts of the plant, but the stems particu- 
larly, are covered with a clammy viscid secretion, as if coated 
with moist varnish. It is probably this, chiefly, which renders 
the plant so useful to the fishermen in preserving their lines and 
defending them from the action of the salt-water. This is the 
account they give themselves of its use; to which may perhaps 
be added, the stiffness and smoothness it gives, rendering them 
less liable to entangle. 1t also, no doubt, in some measure 
strengthens them, and diminishes friction ; and fe dark: colour 
renders them less visible in the water. 
It is thus applied.—A large quantity of the plant being col- 
lected, the stems are bruised with stones (usually by children), till 
the bark can be readily stripped off; the leaves and young shoots 
or flower-stems being rejected, as, perhaps, containing a weaker, 
less viscid juice, which would too much dilute the rest: the bark 
thus collected, is pounded in a rude mortar, till its fragments are 
sufficiently small to allow a handful of them to be rubbed with a 
cloth backwards and forwards along the outstretched lines till 
they are well saturated with the juice: they are then coiled up, 
and put to steep till the following day in some alkaline liquid, 
(usually common urine,) when the rubbing is again repeated, if 
necessary ; that is, if the line does not appear uniformly black 
and evenly coated in all parts. If when dried there still appear . 
in it any knots or inequalities, it is put to soak in sea-water, for 
the purpose of softening previous to any more rubbing. When 
quite finished, it has become black, perfectly smooth and even, . 
and shines as if coated with varnish, or rather with the wax 
used by shoemakers, whose waxed threads it much resembles, 
except 
