Miscellanies. 39d 



it more or less, at an expense of one dollar and a half yearly for each. 

 The flame is large, but not so strong, or brilliant as that from gas in our 

 cities : it is however in high favor with the inhabitants. The gazom- 

 eter I found on measurement, collected eighty eight cubic feet in 

 twelve hours during the day : but the man who has charge of it told 

 me that more might be procured with a larger apparatus. About a 

 mile from the village, and in the same stream, it comes up in quanti- 

 ties four or five times as great. The contractor for the light house 

 purchased the right to it and laid pipes to the lake, but found it im- 

 possible to make it descend, the difference in elevation being very 

 great. It preferred its old natural channels, and bubbled up beyond 

 the reach of his gazometer. The gas is carburetted hydrogen, and 

 is supposed to come from beds of bituminous coal : the only rock 

 visible, however, both here, and to a great extent on both sides, along 

 the southern shore of the lake, is fetid limestone. 



5. Sheet Caoutchouc. — A specimen of sheet caoutchouc has been 

 sent to the Editor, by Dr. I. K. Mitchell of Philadelphia. 



Dr. Mitchell's process is as follows. Steep a bag of caoutchouc 

 in sulphuric ether until quite soft, say from four to twelve hours, or any 

 longer term. Take it out and quickly attach to its neck, by a flat 

 string a stop cock, and inflate with the mouth. This process suc- 

 ceds best in a cold room. When well prepared the balloon will rise 

 whh hydrogen, by means of which it should, for such a purpose, be 

 inflated. 



Cake caoutchouc soaked in ether until soft, is easily cut with a wet 

 knife, or under water, and may thus be made as thin as required. 

 By soaking in ether for some days, massive caoutchouc may be mould- 

 ed by hand into any shape whatever, and is nearly as manageable as 

 dough. 



Dr. Mitchell has also discovered that essential oil of sassafras will dis- 

 solve caoutchouc readily after being softened in ether, and that after 

 evaporation of the solvent the caoutchouc remains unaltered. 



The very various uses to which both discoveries may be applied 

 need not be insisted on. 



When two pieces are laid together and cut with scissors, they unite 

 at the line of section. 



We are happy to see this interesting art introduced into this coun- 

 try. The specimen forwarded by Dr. Mitchell is very perfect, and 

 there' can be no doubt, that the interests of both science and the arts 



