A NAriONAL I 'PAPER, PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS BY JOHN FENiIO, No. 6q, HIGH-STREET, PHILADELPHIA. lj i [No. iy, of Vol. IV.] The fallowing Account of GUM ELASTIC, or INDIAN lIUBBEH, is taken from THE BILE. By Dr. AaneasoN,</Edinburgh. On the vfes that may te made of Coutchovc, F.lajhc Cum, vr Indian Rubber, in Arts and Manufactures, with an act, our.t of the manner oj obtaining and ma nufacturing it. TIIE substance which forms the object of our present disquisition is called Loutchouc. by the natives of the country where it is spontane ously produced. It is denominated elajlic g •,«, 01* elajtic refirty by philosophers in Europe j but it is now generally known in the shops by the name of Indian rubber \ a substance that few of our readers are not acquainted with. It is a firm, tough, pliable substance, greatly resembling some | Jcina> of leather ; but it pofteffes a degree of" el fticity that cannot be equalled by any known substance in nature. It admits of beingftretch'd l out in every direction to an aftoniOiing degree ; and when the distending power is removed, it recovers its former shape and appearance. It neither can be difTolved in water, in ardent spirits, in acids, nor alkaline in the or dinary Itate of our atmosphere. Oils, in some measure, a<ft upon it; but the vitriolic aetheri is the only complete solvent of it that Is as yet 1 knou'a. It is inflammable, and burns with a ■ clear steady flame, emitting then a flight fme!',' not at all disagreeable. When exposed to a j cold air, it is more hard and rigid than under a! milder temperature, but it neither becomes fiu-! id, nor loses its elasticity, till it be exposed to a much more intense degree of heat than is ever experienced in any climate on the globe. It may, however, be melted by a very intense de gree of heat; and then it aifumes a thick vis cid appearance, like some kind; of femi-fluid oils. And having once been reduced to that state, it cannot be again made to acquire its former consistence or elasticity. This substance is now well known to be the jnfpiiTated juice of" a tree. The natives in thole regions where this tree abounds, extract the juice by making longitudinal incisions in the bark. It bleeds freely, and the juice, in a thick state of femi-fluidity, is collected into vefl'els placed to receive it at the bottom of the tree. It is then, by means of a brush, spread upon moulds prepared for the purpose, and fuffered to dry in the fun, or before a fire, which, by evaporating the moisture, soon brings it to the state in which it is sent over to us. Ey adding fucceflive layers above each ether, it may be brought to any degree of thickness wanted ; and by varying the form of the mould, it may be made to a flume any ihape.or appearance you incline; which shape, as has been laid, it will ever afterward: retain, if no distending force be applied to alter it. From this limple detail of fa&s, it is easy to ' fee, that the uses to which this substance I be applied in arts and manufactures are inriu J j merable, and such as can be effected by no other known substance in nature. Yet so blind have mankind hitherto been to these advantages, that no attempts have been made in any acces sible region where ex ten five manufactures could be established, either to cultivate the tree that produces it, or to induce the natives to fend tne juice in its fluid state to Eur ope, where it could be properly manufactured. All that has been done is, to fuffer the natives to mould it into the. form of a finall kind of bottles, which is found to answer some purpose among themselves ; and these, when brought to Eu rope, are applied to scarcely any other use than being cut to pieces for the purpose of effacing marks made upon paper by a black lead pencil, or that of idly aniufing children by stretching it out, and observing how perfectly it again reco vers it pristine form, after having been distend ed to agreat length in any direction. We a - muse ourselves with the phenomenon without profiting by it, as children uled to be amused with the attraction of amber, before the pheno mena of electricity were exolained. It is now time, that we should begin to make some use of this very valuable substance, which, probably, a hundred years hence, will adminis ter in a variety of ways to the accommodation of our defendants. With that view, I /hall here venture to point out a few of the ufeful purposes it may be made to answer ; not doubt ing but the invention of men, whenever they can get the materials in their hands in abun dance, will discover a variety of other impor tant purposes it will serve, that have not as yet been dreamt of. 1 ft- This substance so much resembles lea ther, that it naturally occurs that it might be employed for the pnrpofe of making boots. These would not only admit of being made in the neatest ftrape that could be imagined, but aVo, by being impervious to water, or the other cor ro five liquors above named, would be fu.fi cient to protest men from wet, though Handing in water. For feamcn, filhermen and others, who are by their business obliged to wade in water, such boots would be of the greatest uti lityl The feet and legs might thus be protect ed from the action of even acids or alkaline substances theinfelves, wheievc-r that fnould become necelTary. 2d. Clevei of this fubilar.ce would be so foft and pliable, as to aU»w tise fingers perfect ac Saturday, August 4, 1792. lion, and in tjio.e kinds of bufineiies, that re quire artificers to put their hands among; acids or corrosive liquors, they may become highiy convenient. 3d. Caps. Tfee uses that might be made .of thrir, iukftance for defending tlie head froin wat, are infinitely v rious, and might piwe highly beneficial. A thin covering of tliis fiibftance might made .or travelling hats, which, witli ou£ adding any ecfble weight, would be per-' fe&ly impervia! le by wet of any kind. Evjry other kind of covering for the head, liiirht be thins rendered water tight, merely by giving thenf a cout of coutchouc, which would in no tenable degree alter tlieir other qualities. Bathing caps in particular, could thus be made extremalv commodious, and at a fmallexpcnce. This could be done, by covering with a coat of coutchouc an elafticflocking cap, which, mere ly by being pulled tight oVer 'the head, v ould embrace every part of it all round, so as tc prevent the entrance of water. The iiocking and the covering being -equally elastic* they would contrail and expand together without any fort of difficulty. 4th. Umbrellas.— of jilt, materials, cloaks or travelling coats of any fort, that ihould be judged proper, could thus be rendered perfectly water tight, without de ft roving their pliability in the iinalleft degree. It would only be ncceilaTy to cover them witli a coat or this foft varnilh after ti»ey were made, so as to close up the feains. Buckets too, ajl ofeanvas, or any other cheap substance, might be made w.ater ti'&fat and incorruptible, by merely covering them with this matter. VclTels al.'o for holding water and other liquors, that would not be liable to breakage, might thus be made of any size or fiiape at a finall ex pence. In fliort, it would take too much room to attempt to enumerate half the uses that! might be made of it in the houftiold way. sth In the army and navy, its uses would be still more numerous and important. Tents are an article of very great expence : Thecan vas for them rnuft be of the very best quality and closest texture ; and ?fter all, they aie sel dom proof continued fain. At any rate, the vicifStudes of weather fben rot the canvas, and make a new supply in a short time be necciTarv. Were these tents covered with a coat of this Aibffar ce, the er.t vanc e of rain through it would not only be altogether preclud ed, out also, the very wetting of the canvas it felf would be prevented, and cfcourfe its dura bility be augmented to a tenfold degree. On the lame principle, the fails of a lliip would not only be made to hold the wind in themoft com plete manner, but by being covered by a thin coat of it on both fides, the fail cloth itfelf could never be wetted, and cf course, its durability be augmented, while its flexibility would not !be diminilhed. Other uses to which it could be j applied :n the army and navy, are so numerous, !as not to admit of being here foecified. It is only neceiTary barely to mention, that on a mi litary expedition, to have a velfel capable of containing fluids, which, when empty, admits of being wrapped up like a handkerchief and put into the pocket, might on some occasions be of inestimable value ; and the fame at sea. (To be concluded in our next.) Thejoilovjing Fafquinade on the Abbe Maury, ii Jaidappeared m Rome. " ROME is in mourning. O Pius the fixtii, now that you are loading with favors a m?.n, whom religion,.learning, and his country equal ly disavow—deign then to liflcn to Pafquin, and acknowledge your error. As the organ of pub lic opinion, I am more infallible than yourfelf —Born of an obfeure family, Maury had the baseness to blulh at his origin—educated from his youth upwards in the arts of intrigue and hypocriiy, he grew ambitious of the honors of the academy and the wealth of the church. According as either was prosperous he courted 1 the atfceiilical Aleinbert or the jefuiticai Beau mont. He preached up atheifiti and calumni ated philosophy. Convinced of the w-eaknefs of his abilities, he removed his rivals from the <a cred tribunal by the most infamous accusations In the heat of brutality he has endeavored to seize by force the favors of unfufpecling beauty aild ihtiocence, and has been known to alfume the charactei c! an allajiin to be received as a lover.—Decorated with literary titles, obtained by the baled a; oftacy, enriched by the wealth of a church'he had treated with the blacked in gi atltnde, it'll his ambition was imlatisfied : always imitating the serpent, which to raise it- Jelf, muff creep, he became the defender and" patron of slavery, and hired out his pen to a despotic miniiter—this vile supporter of ty ranny .vas invited by the difaffefled clergy of France, to intrude himielfamong the represent atives ol a people who are determined to be free, &x—Such is the portrait of tile Abbe Maury—O Pins, we pardon you, your effemi nate'luxury, y, ur hypocritical pilgrimages,your insolent profufion and your antichriftian policy -.but who can, without indignation; fee a ttai terdus Judas elevated to apostolical dignity, and the Roman purple disgraced bv a Pope who •js only delerving of the purple of the jjaUqy 73 ON PRIDE Ftvi-t Jltti Spy, u As love of pleasure into pain betray?, So most grow iniarfious through love 61'pralfe."' IT is rather whiinfical, if the above aphorism is true,, that the motive to action, with tlie means and acquiii cion, should so generally revei fe each other. Dilliniftion is tie object of pride: Infamy its acquisition, when the means are not selected by virtue, nor directed by judgment. It is not difficult to read this truth in common characters—Those whimlical beings, who, through poverty, laziness, or mifanthiopy, get into the habits of peculiarity in manr.ei s and dress, by neglecting, or combating the general opinion and taste of the world, are not only denied its applauies, but meet is reproaches anc! contempt , i and are no i> herwife did inguifhed, than by their diitance the wrong way frera ilie favoui ites ot mankind.— This is a broad lubjeCt. Perhaps i: would be easy to trace all the ciiines that disgrace human nature to tins one powerful pioj.enfity, the love of diftindtion. This is the real cause why one half of the woild is bowed down, and enslaved by the burden and tyranny of the other half—why the lofty towers and the splendid mo numents of human glory, have- been reared and decoiaitd in one age, and broken down and totally fsvept away in the next. It will e\er be the call , while we value no nioic the conlci oufnefs of merit, than the utu ibuies of it ftoleii from the woild, by fajfe appearances and pretences, that true fame, like the decayed titles of a once valuable and honorable nobility, xle 'ccnded toa degeneraie progeny, v.ill depreciate, and lole its original It amp and principles, in the general plun der of envy, ambition, accident and knavery. And (he erior and evil consequences, in the one cafe, is a very exaCi referoblance of them in the other. In both cases, real worth has as little encouragement to expect, as it has of motive to obtain, the tiiftinc tion of mankind. lit a society where this objetff, lb important to its glory and faiety, has loft its power to iii fpire a benevolent, emulative and pa triotic difpofitioir, the weak and fun pie members of it have every thing to apprehend from the cunning and powerful. Much has been written, and maiiv fever* things said, against piide : Yet it is peihaps as necellary a propensity as grows out of human nature. Be cauJe I have wounded my finger with my knife, 1 do not think pioper to batter its edge—Neither fhoitld the moralist, in zealous revenge for the blood it has spilt, endeavor to eradi cate pride f'roul the heart. The ob jrrt to which it is direded, flipuld be feletfted by real'on, so likewise fliould the means. And then, like the bieeze that fills the fail, or the fpurto adull horse, it adds a flimulator as well as an impetus to progress and acqui sition. FROM THE (Nf.W-YORK) WEEKLY MUSWM. A CURIOUS FACT TN the month of June of the present i- year, a Pea-lien in the Alms-house garden, set on a number of eggs, but whenever lhe quitted the iielt, the Peacock (as their manner is) would destroy some of them, until at length flie had left but one. A large hotTfe cat, which ninth frequented the gar den, probably having obfei-ved now matters had lien conducted, now paid Wore than ordinary attention, and took it upon her, whenever the hen left the i.eft, ro take her place, and Ive spread very broad on the eog, un . til tie hen returned, when the would very orderly deliver up her charge id the natural owner; m d so it was rhat in the fulinefs of time, their Syfdii^ [Whole No. united vigilance and care, produced a iine Pea-cl)ick. Nowtheeud PufshadL in view, in this curious proceli of in cubation, is submitted to Vhe natn ralill, whither she meant to contri bute what (lie could towards the pro duction, or, whether it W3s to guard the sacred rfepofits from the depreda tions of the wanton deftrbyer. P. S. Miss, or more properly (fiuce fte has a young one) Mistress Puis and the chicken are ofien seen toge ther in the garden, while the heifac a diltance seems apprehensive of no danger, but happy in the confidence of the jt ieudly grimalkin. PARIS, May 2. '"T"' WO conventional treaties arecotn -E- mtinicated this day from the mi nister of foreign affairs to theAffembly, and are decreed ; the one with prince Loweinftheim, the other with th& reigning prince of Salm Salm. These two treaties, when ratified by the; National Afleinbly will serve as an answer to all the hott offlanders witli which ccrtain powers have affecled to ltigmatize a great nation, who have vindicated themselves into free dom, ami who wish to oppose their enemies with no other Weapons than reason and justice. NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, May 12. ON the motion of M. Dumas, it \\:is decreed, that the formation ot courts-martial ihould be left to the Generals who command the different armies M. Gaudet made fame severe far caliic remarks on the conduct of M. de )n Fayette, and a Iked whether such a General lhould have the power of enacting military laws : His remarks, however, were not produtflive of any effcdt. 'J lie Mi niftier for the Interior De partment said, that Paris was full of toi eignei s ; and that he was preatly alarmed for the fafetv of the capital, fufpetfting that some- dark designs were in agitation, which the preferic police coulil not discover.— Referred to the committee of twelve. Decreed, " That the immense heap of papers and parchments which re late to the Nobility, and collected frc.m vaiious monalteries, &c. and de polued in the Church des Grands Au gultins, ill ai 1 be burned." M. Hi:licy de Robecourt said, oil the occalion, that the Aflcuibly were a let of Coths—feu! aujcu! re funded from all parts of the Hall, and the conflagration was accordingly decreed. M. Carnot,jtin. moved, "That the regiment of King's Swiss Guards be 110 longer in the King's service, buc in the service of the Nation ; that the National Guard of Honor be respon sible to the Nation for the fnfeiy of the King's pet son, and not liable to receive orders from the Officers of the Guards paid by the King." This motion was adjourned. Decreed, ] hat the Commanders in Chief shall have the privilege of ap pointing Commandants of uariifons &c. from among the Captains and Of ficers of superior rank, who, beside the emoluments attached to Comman dants, shall (till receive the pay, as Officers, according to their rank." LONDON, May 5. Remlutiyn in Poland* ' . ' This bfipgttiefirft aiijilvcrfimy of the peaceful aiul'dignified. Revolu tion hi Poland, (a Revolution whicift gave to tliat couuttjr a ne^ t a nobler, and more fecurc exigence aniong tl\e Nations) a company. sixty peifons, dined at thp Mitre-Ta vern, Miire-Court, Aldgate, in com* tiiemoratjon of an eveijt which lo hap pily dempsjitrated the wcreafing.ligiic and liberality of the age. "
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