BOOK III. CHAP. Vlir. 769 



Boiling, or when the water is thoroughly impregnated, it fhould be 

 fhifted into any commodious veiTel ; fuffered to ftand for twelve hours, 

 and the water then poured off: by this procefs, the foluble part, or 

 gum, which is of no ufe in the operation, will be extraded ; and what 

 remains in fediment is the drofs and relin, which being left to remain 

 till it is pretty well dried and brought to confiftence, expofed to the 

 air and fun, will be fit for ufe. 



The aloes, thus prepared, may be worth about 6/. ficrYmg per cwt. 

 And at this rate, the expence to a veflel of 50 tons will be about 15J., 

 and for a firft-rate fhip, of 2000 tons, no more than 18/. 



It is but juftice to this commodity to recite the efftfts of one expe»- 

 riment, tried by the perfon before-mentioned. He took feveral pieces 

 of oak, cedar, and mahogany plank, of two feet in breadth, and four 

 feet in length, and with particular diftindl marks to prevent miftake?, 

 put on different coats, or compofitions, fome with, and feme without, 

 the aloes mixture ; thefe were fuffered to lie under the fea-water for 

 eight months; and, upon taking them up, he found that where the 

 aloes had made part of the compofition, there were few impreffions 

 made; one piece, in particular, was as frefli, found, and untouched, as 

 on the day when it was put in ; this had been befrheared with turpen- 

 tine, tallow, Spanifh brown, and aloes ; but the other pieces, which had 

 none of the aloetic mixture, were perforated, and eaten into a honeycomb. 



The ufe therefore of this ingredient would certainly produce a fav- 

 ing of many thoufand pounds ^^r ^w?/^;/?;, both to the merchants, and 

 the crown. If is the bitter naufeous acrimonv which refides in the re- 

 finous part, that renders it a very proper defence againft every fpecies 

 of infedts; and this part, being indiffoluble in water, will adhere to the 

 plank unimpaired, fo- long as the compofition lafts, with which it is 

 blended. Neither an extravagance of price, nor apprehenfions of a 

 fcarcity,- need be any objedion to the general ufe of it. The fa van - 

 nabs, and other barren pLaces in Jamaica alone, are capable of pro- 

 ducing much more than could be employed by all the Ihipping belong'-, 

 ing to the Britifh dominions; and, was it encouraged by a regular de- 

 mand, Bermudas and other colonies would enter upon the cultivation," 

 fo tlatthe price could probably never rife high. 



The fame compofition may be ufed with great advantage in Jamaica, 

 for preferving the rafters and other timbers belonging to the fioors and 



roofs 



