Productions of Boutan and Thibet. 109 
The gentleman to whom I owe part of my information 
terms the lac the excrement of the inleCh On a more minute 
inveftigation, however, we may not find it more fo than the 
wax or honey of the bee, or filk of the filk-worm. Nature 
has provided moft infects with the means of fecreting a fub- 
ftance which generally anfwers the twofold purpofe of de- 
fending the embryo, and fupplying nourifliment to the infefit 
from the time of its animation till able to wander abroad in 
queft of food. The frefh lac contains within its cells a liquid, 
fweetifh to the tafte, and of a fine red colour, mifcible in 
water. The natives of Affam ufe it as a dye, and cotton 
dipped in this liquid makes afterwards a very good red ink. 
The fimple operation of purifying lac is pra&ifed as follows. 
It is broken into fmall pieces, and picked from the branches and 
flicks, when it is put into a fort of canvas bag of about four 
feet long, and not above fix inches in circumference. Two of 
thefe bags are in conftant ufe, and each of them held by two 
men. The bag is placed over a fire r and frequently turned 
till the lac is liquid enough to pafs through its pores, when it 
is taken off the fire, and fqueezed by two men in different 
directions, dragging it along the convex part of a plantain- 
tree prepared for the purpofe ; while this is doing, the other 
bag is heating, to be treated in the fame way. The mucila- 
ginous and fmooth furface of the plantain-tree feems pecu- 
liarly well adapted for preventing the adhefion of the heated 
lac, and giving it the form which enhances its value fo much. 
The degree of preffure on the plantain-tree regulates the 
thicknefs of the fhell, and the quality of the bag determines 
its finenefs and tranfparency. They have learned of late, that 
the lac which is thicker in the (hell than it ufed to be, is moft 
prized in Europe. Affam furnifhes us with the greateft quan- 
tity 
