NATURAL 
of Mie chiefly found at the lower 
extremity of the joint, as might be 
expected from the juice fettling 
there, they were found adherent in- 
differently to either extremity, and 
fometimes to both. In this fitua- 
tion they formed a fmooth lining; 
fomewhat refembling polifhed ftuc- 
co, which ufually was cracked in 
feveral places, and might eafily be 
detached with a blunt knife. 
In fome joints the Tabafheer was 
found thus collected at one or both 
extremities only, and in fuch no 
rattling was perceived upon fhak- 
ing the bamboo; but generally, 
while fome adhered to the extre- 
mities of the joint, other detached 
pieces were intermixed with the 
coarfer loofe particles in the cavity. 
The quantity found in each bam- 
‘boo was very inconfiderable; the 
produce of the whole twenty-eight 
reeds, from five to feven feet long, 
hot much exceéding two drams. 
Submitting the fpecimens to ex 
amination, I refrain from éxperi- 
ments on them, which may more 
fuccefsfully be made in England, 
and fhall proceed to offer a few 
obfervatiéns on the juice of the re- 
* cent bamboo fuppofed to form the 
_ Tabatheer. 
_ The exiftence of this fluid in the 
bamboo is known by fhaking the 
joint. In a confiderable number of 
bamboos fplit in order to procure 
it, I never fourid water in more 
than two joints, and generally not 
‘more than two or three dramis in 
‘each; the largeéft quantity procured 
at one time was one ounce anda 
half. Very few joints in propor- 
“tion contained any. 
The fluid was always tranfparent, 
‘bat varied in confiftence; when 
thicker, it had a whiter colour than 
g€ommon; when more dilute it dif. 
Vou. XXXII. 
HISTORY. és 
fered little to the eye from common 
water, or fomettmes had a pale 
greenifh caft. Applied to the tongue 
and palate, it had a flight faline, 
fub-aftringent tafte, more or lefs 
perceptible in proportion to the 
confiftence of the fluid. After eva- 
poration in the fun, the refiduum 
had a pretty ftrong faline tafte, with 
lefs aftringency. Some of the fluid, 
of a darkifh colour, thickened in 
the reed to the confiftence of honeys 
and fome, in another joint of the 
fame reed, was perfectly white and 
dlmoft dry: both had the fharp falt 
taite, which the Tabafheer itfelf 
lofes in a great degree by keep- 
ing. 
In the latter end of O&ober, 2 
green bamboo of five joints was 
brought to me, which appeared to 
contain both water and 'Tabafheer, 
After three days, the found of wa- 
ter, upon fhaking the reed, could 
hardly be perceived; on the fifth 
day it was intirely imperceptible. 
Upon fplitting the bamboo, about 
half a dram of the fluid, now thick. 
ened intd a mucilage, was found at 
the bottom of the upper joint. The 
fecond joint contained fome perfect 
Tabafheer loofe in the cavity. Tha 
third joint was empty, excepting 2 
few particles of T'abafheer, which 
adhered to the fides near the bots 
tom. The fourth joint, at the bot- 
tom, contained above a dram of a 
brownith pulpy fubftance, adherent. 
The laft joint, in like manner, con- 
tained half a dram of a fubitance 
thicker and harder in confiftence, 
and nearly of the colour of white 
wax. 
This fpecimen exhibited at one 
view the progrefs of the Tabatfheer 
through its feveral ftages. The 
found diftinétly perceived in the firft 
joint on the 23d of Ottober, was 
F produced 
