222 WATER-PROOF CLOTH. 



proof, was invented some years ago by a gentle- 

 man of Glasgow, and is now universally used in 

 England. The Caoutchouc is dissolved in Naphtha 

 (a brownish liquor obtained in the process for 

 making gas from coal), so as to form a varnish, with 

 which the surface of cloth, or silk, or calico, is 

 covered. This alone would be sufficient to pre- 

 vent the rain from penetrating : but as the varnish 

 is very glutinous, and would be inconvenient if it 

 were exposed, it is covered up by a second thin 

 cloth ; and the whole being then passed between 

 rollers, is made quite smooth, and of equal thick- 

 ness all through. I have seen water-proof cloaks 

 made in this manner, of double calico, or silk, with 

 Indian rubber between, which were lighter than a 

 single woollen cloth, such as you wear. 



EDWARD. 



But will not the rain melt away the Indian rub- 

 ber from between the folds of the calico? 



MOTHER. 



No ; because it cannot be dissolved in water ; 

 indeed there are few liquors besides Naphtha 

 that will dissolve it. 



Since the invention of water-proof cloth by 

 Mr. Macintosh, Indian rubber has been imported 

 in much larger quantities than before ; and has 

 been applied to a great number of new and very 



