lygi. luerary intetligence. 79 



not drying properly. Both of these procefses, there- 

 fore, he rejects. 



After many trials, he thinks he has at length discovered 

 an easy and cheap method of making catheters, and simi- 

 lar tubes, of this elastic gum in Europe. It has been re- 

 marked, that if ilireds of these bottles frefli cut down, be 

 prefsed very close upon each other, they may be made to 

 adhere so clofely as to appear one piece. This operation 

 is facilitated if the caoutchouc be softened in warm water. 

 Upon this principle he thus proceeds : After having pro- 

 vided a mould of a proper size for the open of the tube 

 intended, he slices down the caoutchouc into thin flireds, 

 puts these into boiling water •, after they have remained 

 there for some time, to soften, he takes out these (hreds, 

 and rolls them tightly on the mould, taking care to make 

 the edges overlap each other j one flired is applied after 

 another, till the mould is all covered to the thicknefs 

 wanted, then a ribbon is bound as tightly as pofsible over 

 the whole, and above that it is still more closely bound 

 by a tire of packthread, laid close to each other over the 

 whole surface. In this state it is allowed to remain for 

 some days, when the packthread is unbound, and the rib- 

 bon taken off. The mould may then be easily drawn out 

 after dipping it a few minutes in hot water, and the tube 

 is formed. 



Ho ,v much more easy would it be, however, to make a 

 variety of uses of this substance, could the juice be ob- 

 tained in its fluid state in Britain ! and this it easily 

 could be, were it reared in our new settlement of Sierra 

 Leona, on the coast of Africa, which is not a voyage of a 

 month from Britain. What a valuable acquisition would 

 a cargo of the seeds of the caoutchouc tree be to this new 

 colony ! Is not this an object deserving the attention of 

 -the Sierra Leona directors ? 



