SCIENTIFTC NOTICES. 27 



into a thin whitish liquor resembling whey, and the caoutchouc 

 concretes into a clot or curd. 



" Cloth of all kinds, (says Mr. Howison,) may be made im- 

 penetrable to water by impregnating it with the fresh juice of 

 the Urceolo. Boots, gloves, &c., made of this impervious cloth, 

 are preferable even to those formed of pure caoutchouc, as they 

 are more durable and retain their shape better. If a sufficient 

 quantity of this juice could be obtained, it might no doubt be 

 applied to a vast variety of important purposes." 



An American gentleman who has taken much pains to obtain 

 authentic information on this subject, remarks as follows : 



" The first mention of India rubber as applicable to the arts, 

 was by Dr. Priestley, in his Introduction to the Theory of Per- 

 spective, published in 1770, in which he speaks of it as a sub- 

 stance just introduced, and adapted to removing the marks of 

 lead pencils from paper. He commends its use, and the vender 

 of it, Mr. Nairre, instrument-maker, opposite the Royal Ex- 

 change, who sold cubical pieces of half an inch in size for three 

 shillings sterling." 



It is believed the article was first brought to Europe in 1730, 

 by some French mathematicians, who had been making some 

 astronomical observations in South America. 



It is a very curious reflection, that the articles which have 

 most affected the commerce and financial resources and con- 

 dition of the nations of Europe, have been chiefly derived from 

 the New World. We allude to the potato, to tobacco, the 

 precious metals, and cotton, and another article has sprung into 

 use which bids fair to be as important, Caoutchouc." 



