INDIAN MANUFACTURE. 47 



shapes is usually performed by the man's wife or daughters, by 

 pouring the sap upon clay forms or wooden lasts, which are held 

 in the hand. It takes from twenty to twenty-five coats of the 

 sap to form a shoe. Upon applying each successive coat of the 

 gum in this way, the article is held over the small furnace re- 

 presented by fig. in the plate, and s?noked for about half a 

 minute. The smoke is produced from the burning of the wassou 

 palm-nut, which is plentiful in that country ; it is about the size 

 of the largest hickory nut, but resembles more the black walnut. 

 It is stated, no doubt correctly, that no other smoke will produce 

 the same effect upon the gum. The natural color of the 

 native gum is yellowish white ; the dark brown color of the im- 

 ported article is imparted by the smoke. The gum is consid- 

 erably hardened by this process ; it is also rendered less adhesive, 

 and is so far changed as to be much improved for the subsequent 

 purposes of re-manufacturing, as formerly conducted in the 

 United States and in Europe. This effect is not needed for the 

 manufacture by my process. 



The shoes and toys, when sufficiently dried in this manner, 

 are often ornamented in a rude way, by impressions made by 

 the point of a knife or a wooden stamp, about twenty-four hours 

 after the articles are finished."* 



After four or five days, the clay is washed out of the article 

 formed, or where lasts are used they are removed from the 

 shoes ; which are next tied together in pairs, and hung on poles. 

 In this manner they are conveyed to Para, where they are pur- 

 chased by the merchants for exportation, and stuffed with hay 

 or grass for the purpose of keeping them in form. It is some 

 months before the shoes become hard enough for service ; but 

 they are gradually hardened by age. The shape of the shoes has 

 commonly been improved by lasting and trimming, after their 

 importation into the United States. The firm of Messrs. Smith 

 & Son, the first dealers in these shoes in New York, obtained a 

 high reputation for their shoes, by taking advantage of the above 

 circumstance, and keeping their stock on hand until well 



* Charles Smith, Esq. 



