Miscellaneous Intelligence 335 



^Experiment has abundantly proved, that although the arnianth fibres 

 are long able to resist a red heat without much change, they soon (even in 

 twenty-four hours) became incapable of transmitting a full supply of oil, 

 owing to an imperfect cohesion effected by the flame. Hence it is impracti- 

 cable to convert them into perpetual lamp-wicks. Neither is it true that a 

 red heat has no effect upon them. Cloth, woven of amianth, actually does 

 lose weight by burning ; and, after repeating the operation several times, 

 the fibres become so brittle, as to render it difficult to prevent them from 

 crumbling to pieces In two experiments made before the Royal Society of 

 London, a cloth, one foot long by six inches wide, and weighing nearly 1£ 

 ounce, was found to lose, by the application of a red heat, more than one- 

 twelfth of its weight each time. It would be considered a very bad piece of 

 common linen that could be worn out iu twelve washings ! — The only advan- 

 vantage which such cloth seems to possess over the ordinary kind, is the 

 facility of cleansing it by fire^ but really soap is so cheap an article, that 

 there could not be much gained, in this respect, by a change in fabrics. 

 The amianth paper has even less to recommend it. It would be curious, no 

 doubt, to return an answer upon the same piece of paper as that which was 

 received from the post-office, merely by burning out the original ; but it 

 could not be agreeable to find our ink spreading at every letter, an inch 

 wide, upon paper from which the fire has removed all sizing. So, also, it 

 might appear highly important to possess an incombustible paper, upon 

 which could be spread all important documents; but (not to mention the 

 thousand methods of getting rid of the troublesome records without burning 

 them) we must bear in mind, that an unultciiMc ink is as important as the 

 paper, and none of those proposed has been found to be sufficient. Incom- 

 bustibility alone must compensate for the article being heavy, coarse, weak, 

 liable to blot, and not capable of taking the full impress of types. Books, 

 it is true, have been printed upon this kind of paper, among which may be 

 noticed the work preserved in the library of the Koyal Institute of France ; 

 but, however highly authors may esteem their own productions, we feel 

 fully persuaded that booksellers would not tolerate such nonsense from them 

 now-a-days. To conclude, it may be observed, that, while it is not, by any 

 means, our wish to interfere with the virtuoso's taste for neck-handkerchiefs 

 and shirts of stone cloth, we must take the liberty of hinting, that, if the 

 perfect art of weaving it does not now exist, there is not much lost." 



Crabs abound in the eastern Parts of Jamaica at all Seasons, but are 

 best in the months which have an R in their names, as April, &c. They 

 are most abundant in May, when they deposit their eggs, or run, as the 

 Negroes call it. At this season it is impossible to keep them even out of the 

 bedrooms, where, at one time scratching with their large claws, at another 

 rattling across the floor, they make a noise which might alarm or startle 

 a stranger. For a few weeks in this season they may be gathered in any 

 number. Even the hogs catch them, though not always with impunity, 

 as a crab sometimes lays hold of one of them by the snout, from which lie 

 is not easily disengaged, and the terrified animal runs about squeaking in 



freat distress. At other seasons, and when more valuable, they are caught 

 y torch-light at night, and put into covered baskets. Crowds" of Negroes 

 pass my house every evening, with torches and baskets, going to a crab- 

 wood on the other side, and return before midnight fully laden. Their 

 baskets contain about forty crabs, and the regular price is a five-penny 

 piece, our smallest coin, equal to about 3£t£. sterling, for five 01 six crabs. 

 A hundred plantains, generally sold for 5*. will purchase sixty or seventy 

 crabs. Two of these eaten with plantains, or yams, make an excellent meal. 

 I have seen upwards of a hundred Negroes pass my house on an evening, 

 and return with their baskets not only full, but with quantities of crabs 

 fastened by the claws on the top of the baskets; they must have had at 

 least 3000 crabs. Almost every Negro family has an old Hour-barrel, pier- 

 ced with holes, in which the crabs are kept". They are fed with plantain 

 skins, &c. and taken out as wanted. 



There is a great variety of crabs in Jamaica, but only two are eaten. 

 The black is the best, and is one of the greatest West Indian delicacies, 

 hardly less so than the turtle. They live in mountain forests, in strong 

 ground, and feed on the fallen dry leaves of the trees. The white crab, as 



