INTRODUCTION. 



would be chargeable with ingratitude if he neglected to ac- 

 knowledge, that while the public mind was filled with indiffer- 

 ence or disgust in regard to any thing that related to gum- 

 elastic, he was at different periods aided and sustained, not only 

 by the sympathy of others, but by loans of money from numerous 

 friends and acquaintances, without which the degree of perfec- 

 tion which has been attained in these improvements might 

 never have been realized. 



Fourteen years, in all, have been spent by the writer in ex- 

 perimenting, to complete a system of improvements and inven- 

 tions, of various fabrics and articles growing out of the first 

 discovery made by him ; and to perfect and render practicable, 

 the various processes and manipulations connected with the 

 manufacture. Although many of the articles have for several 

 years been advertised, and supplied to the public by the licen- 

 cees of the inventor, and notices have occasionally been made 

 by the press, of different improvements of the inventor, yet he 

 now presents, for the first time, the subject as a complete system. 



Much yet remains to be done in detail, and the manufacture, 

 like all others of importance, will be one of constant develop- 

 ment and progression ; but it is believed that a great share 

 of the important applications, and perhaps all the important 

 fabrics, are described in the following pages, so that as a whole, 

 the author is satisfied with his labors ; and in this manner 

 presents them to the world, hoping that they will also meet the 

 just appreciation and the approbation of mankind. 



I am indebted to Charles Smith, Esq., and Henry L. Norris, 

 Esq., formerly of New York, for many interesting particulars 

 relating to the Indian manufacture. 



The former of these gentlemen has been, for many years, a 

 resident and consul of the United States at Para. The latter, 

 who was formerly engaged in the India rubber business in New 

 York, is now an exporter of gum-elastic from Para, in connec- 

 tion with the house of Messrs. James Bishop & Co., of New 

 York. These gentlemen have every opportunity of giving cor- 

 rect information on this subject. 



