2.703. lierary intelligence. 83 
you may boldly send to the colonies, if you think it worth 
while, properly put up, without much fear of their being 
spoiled even by a long voyage, as you will probably think 
with me when you have read the following note on the 
incorruptibility, if I may use the exprefsion, of the singular 
species of oil contained in them. However, I fhould 
suppose that oz/y seeds fhould be best kept during such a 
voyage, fhut up in a glafs pliial, well corked, waxed, and 
covered with bladder, so as to avoid as much as pofsible 
the rancidity of the oil, in spite of all I am going to relate 
of its powers to resist it. 
First, we had information to day from Astrachan, that 
although the oz/ of the sesamum orientale, (several fine 
samples of which were fhown in the society,) is brought 
to that city in S/adders, and carried through all the o- 
ther hot provinces, on very long journies, by the Boucha- 
rian Tartars, who sell it; yetit always comes sweet and 
good; a singular quality in oil as said above, worth the 
attention of both the public and philosopher; as it offers 
to the first, a valuable article of food and commerce, and 
to the second, some new principle, or combination worth 
inquiring into. Whilst I think as hinted above, that it 
promises an uncommon power in the seeds to resist pu- 
trefacticn, as they contain a fifth part of their bulk of 
that antiseptic o1/, which appears a sort of paradox : 1 mean 
the term antiseptic applied to oil. 
zdly, We had an accvunt of its cultivation from general 
Beketoff in his large pofsefsionson the Volga, between 
Saratoff, and Astrachan, who is regarded as a most able 
and fkilful econome in this empire; his remarks are as 
follow: ‘The sesamum orientale succeeded well on his 
estate, (situated as above ;) but he complains of the trou- 
ble of gathering its seeds, as they ripen unequally, and 
of course must be taken off the plant at different times, 
' YOL xvii. E : ae 
