300° _ ‘on the caoutchoue. Oct. 23: 
- means of which, leather is said to be rendered perfectly 
imperv ous to water, and when soiled, requires only to be 
wiped with a spunge to restore it to its original lustre. 
The glaze and polith of that leather is indeed surpri- 
singly fine, and far exceeds any thing of the sort we 
have seen. where the flexibility of the leather is preser-- 
ved. Tois glasing we are afsured consists of nothing else 
than a varuifh maae of caoutchouc in oil of tur, entine 
or some other oil, and then exposing it to the air until 
the oil be entirely evaporated. ‘This, though a much 
more expensive procefs than the employing the native juice 
by itself, and probably much lefs perfect also than that 
would be, may still be of use in many cases. 
Leather prepared as above is so. much enhanced in price, 
as to render a pair of thoes made of it about ne fhillings 
dearer than if made of common leather, which must ne- 
cefsarily confine the use of it toa very few only. 
Pieces of Caoutchouc cemented into an uniform mafs. 
As all the modes that have yet been discovered of ma- 
king a solution of this gum, so as to permit it to be employ- 
ed in a fluid state, are attended with great expence, various 
efforts have been made to try if the gum in its so/d state 
could be so moulded as to be applied to economical uses, 
and in consequence of attention and repeated experiments, 
one gentleman has at length succeeded so far as to be able 
to join pieces of it together, which adhere so firmiy as 
that if overstretched it will give way as readily in the solid 
parts as at the joining, and by that means he thinks many 
uses may be made of it. His procels is very simple and 
Not expensive. 
‘Lhe caout hove is brought over to Europe in the form 
of small bottles. He takes one of these bottles, and with 
a fharp instrument cuts it down into a long fpiral slice, so 
as to iorm ove continued narrow ribbon, if you please to 
Biverithat name, He thes puts itin voiling water for thg 
