734 JAMAICA, 



fomewhat nearer to that of the caSlus juice j yet in all manufa£lures 

 of this fort, it is certain, that the cheaper and fimpler the dye is 

 that is principally required, and the fhorter and lefs laborious the 

 procefs, the more ufeful and valuable it ought to be^ efteemed ; 

 and therefore, without detrading any thing from the merit of Mr. 

 Macquer's difcovery, we muft prefume, that the preparation of the 

 juice invented by Mr. Riz, which flrikes at once the perfedt colour 

 with all the luftre that the dye naturally poffeffes, is, by reafon of 

 its fimplicity, cheapnefs, and facility of the procefs, very far fupe- 

 rior, exclufive of its being the production of a Britifh colony, and 

 obtainable with a vafl: annual faving to the national ftock of riches, 

 and general balance of trade. 



The juice of the fruit is probably reducible to a confiftence, by 

 expofure to the air and fun, like the juice of aloes; but the diffi- 

 culty was, to fix and render it undifchargeable (without injury to 

 the colour), from the principles of the mixture with which it is 

 combined for the dyer's purpofe; and a procefs to this effe<fl con- 

 ftitutes the chief merit of the difcovery made by Mr. Riz. 



The other fpecies of the caBus have nothing of a remarkable uti- 

 lity except the torch thiftle, or caBus major ereSlus, which, when it 

 grows old, is hollow within, or rather containing a tubular net- 

 work; in this ftate it will burn like a candle; the Indians on the 

 continent are faid to fill it with a bituminous fubftance, and thus 

 make an excellent kind of flambeaux. 



The prefent price of cochineal, in London, is about ipj. 6d, fter- 

 ling per pound. 



29. Scarlet-Seed. Arbor Sloanea Species. Browne, p. j68. 



This fhrubby tree is frequent in the Red-Hills near Spanifh 

 Town, about fix to feven inches diameter, about twelve or fixteea 

 feet height, and grows pretty luxuriantly. When the fruit is ripe, 

 it burfts upon the tree and flieds its feeds, of which the fmaller 

 birds feem very fond ; they are inveloped in a greafy waxen fub- 

 ftance of a fcarlet colour, which may probably ferve both for the 

 dyers and painters ufe, when better known. 



30. Alli- 



