Ufe to the 
natives* 
Ornaments 
for the la- 
dies. 
Sealing wax. 
Mr. kerr’s Hi ft or y of the 
3d. Lump Lac is Seed Lac liquified by fire, 
and formed into cakes. 
4th. Shell lac is the cells liquified, flrained, 
and formed into thin tranfparent laminae in the 
following manner. Separate the cells from the 
branches, break them into fmall pieces, throw 
them into a tub of water for one day, wafh off 
the red water and dry the cells, and with them 
fill a cylindrical tube of cotton cloth, two feet 
long, and one or two inches in diameter ; tie 
both ends, turn the bag above a charcoal fire ; as 
the Lac liquifies twill the bag, and when a fuffi- 
cient quantity has tranluded the pores of the 
cloth, lay it upon a fmooth junk of the Plan- 
tain tree (Mufa Paradifiaca, linnjei), and with 
a flrip of the Plantain leaf draw it into a thin 
lamella ; take it off while flexible, for in a mi- 
nute it will be hard and brittle. The value of 
Shell Lac is according to its tranfparency. 
This is one of the mofl ufeful infefls yet 
difcovered. 
The natives confume a great quantity of Shell 
Lac in making ornamental rings, painted and 
gilded in various tafics, to decorate the arms of 
the ladies; and it is formed into beads, fpiral 
and linked chains for necklaces, and other female 
ornaments. 
Take a flick, and heat one end of it upon a 
charcoal fire ; put upon it a few leaves of the 
Shell Lac foftened above the fire ; keep alter- 
nately heating and adding more Shell Lac, until 
you 
