aS* Ufe of Caoutchouc in ManufaBum, 



,in each branch of the crofs in its lower face, fo that they revolve in the trough paraUel to- 

 the arbor, with one of their edges foremoft. They are i|- palms long, and f a palm thick. 

 17. A circular trough, or barrel, made very ftrong, and well hooped with iron. Its dia- 

 meter is 6 palms, its clear height i\ palms, and the thicknefs of the wood 5 of a palna. 



The leaven or mixture required to be kneaded, is nriade in a vifooden trough 4 palm.j, 

 long, and 3 palms by the fide in which it is carried to the kneading mill. 



The acSion of this mill is eafily underftood. When the men walk in the large wheel, 

 they turn the kneaders which divide and agitate the pafte in the trough, and perform the 

 fame effeft as is commonly produced by human hands. The trough contains 18 rubbi 

 ( ) of flour, which being properly mixed and raifed, is carried to the mill to be 



kneaded, where in a quarter of an hour it is made into excellent pafte. But the ftate of 

 the dough determines the proper time for taking it out, according to the judgment of the 

 attendant baker ; fo that it may take a little more or lefs time, according to circusi- 

 ftances. 



IX.. 



On the life ^f Caoutchouc in ManuJaBures^ and on the Amelioration of Spirits h/ 



Agi. By J. A. 



To Mr. NICHOLSON. 

 SIR, 



Clyde, Augtijl 19, 1800. 



X O obferve your attention to the ufefu-1 parts, in preference to the mere curiofities of 

 phllofophy, has given me, in common with many others, great fatisfa£tion : and I fincerely 

 hope your labours are proving ufeful to yourfelf.. 



In No. 37, of your inflruftive Journal, I obferve that Mr. Howitfon, an old ac- 

 quaintance of mine, has made fevcral promifing eflays towards obtaining a valuable manu- 

 fafture by covering cloth with the Eaft Indian caoutchouc. In confirmation of the prac- 

 ticability of this, I have to mention, that I have had an opportunity of knowing that hats 

 have been covered with it in South America. Capotas (a kind of cloaks, common to the 

 Portuguefe and Spaniards) have alfo been covered with this fubftancc ; and I have known 

 capotas made in Portugal, and fent to Brazil for this exprefs purpofe. It is evident that 

 any article of drefs covered with caoutchouc muft be perfectly impervious to wet 5 but the 

 weight of the capotas (which it was faid tlie manufaclurers could not remedy) was.fo 

 enormous, that they could only be ferviceablc as boat cloaks.. 



I have often remarked that fpirits, particularly Weft India rum, is univerfally admitted: 



to improve as its age encreafes, but I do not find that this has been completely and phi- 



lofophically accounted for: therefore, through the medium of your monthly publication, 



.1 ftiould be glad to know the refult of any refearch that may have been made into the 



4 nature 



