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. It also, no doubt, in some measure 

 strengthens them, and diminishes friction ; and the 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 (usuallj'^ 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 



