Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1844-11-07


1--WE found Senior Angelicas family. like himself,
very hospitable and very laxative After dinner we
were shown over the place, and entering the neigh
boring forest, shown the cGoutchOuc tree They
grow in general, to the height of forty fifty feet
without branches. then branching, rin up fifteen feet
higher The leaf is about six inches long, thin, and
shaped like that of peach tree The trees show
their working by the number of knots or punches
made by tapp ng and singular fact is, that like
cow, when tapped they give most milk or sap.
=. As the time of operating is early IN the day, we
were obliged TO content ourselves with viewing the
utensils and mouds used by the shocmakers, awaiting
until next morning to see the modUs operaRdi.
Accordin civ, before sunrise hand The
blacks first sent through the forest. armed with
quantity of clay and small pickaxe. On coming
TO of the trees portion of the soft clay formed
into a cup and stuck to the trunk. The black then
striking his pick the cup, the soap cozcs out
slowly, a tree giving daily about gill The Taper
continues IN this way, tapping perhaps fifty trees,
when he returns, and with Jar passing the
ground, enpties has cup. 80 by seven O'Clock the
blacks come in with their jars ready for working.
The sap at this stage resembles milk in appear
ance, ard somewhat in taste 1t is also frequently
drank with perfect safety. If left standing now
Will curdlc Ike milk, dscngaging watcry substance
like whey.
.Shoemakers POW arrange themselves TO form the
gum. Seated in the shade with large pan of milk
ON one side, and tEc other fogon, in which is
burned nut peculiar to this country emitting dense
smoke, the operator having his last, FORM held by
long stick handle, previously besmeared with soft
clay, (n order TO slip off the shoe when iinished,l
holds 1t the PAM and pouring the milk until 1t Is
covered, sets the coating III tie smoke: then giving IT
second coat. repeats the smoking; and 50 on with
the third and fourth until the shoe is of the required
thickness, averaging from Sin to twelve coats. When
finished, the shoes the forms are laccd in the sun
the remainder of the day to drip Next day. if re-
ruiro NAV no HON fbat my
mpressio VIII be indelbly received. The natives
are very dcxtcrous in this work. With quill and
sharp pointed sick, they will produce finely lined
leaves and flowers, such you may have on the
shoes, in incredible short time After remaining
an the forms two three days the shoes are cut open
on the tops allowing the last to slip out They are
then tied together and lung poles ready for market
There peddlers ana Jews trade for them with the
country people; and in lois ~ thousand or more,
who have them stuffed with straw and packed in boxes
to export, IN which state they are received IN the
! United States In the same manner any shape may
be manufactured Thus TOYS are made over clay forms
Afer DRYING tie clay broken and extracted Bottles.
&C., in the same way. According as the SIN grows
older, il Becomes darker in color and more tough.
The number of Caoutchouc tree, in this Province is
countless. in some parts whole forests of them exist.
and they are frequently cut down for frewood. Although
this exists In Mexico and the East Indies. there
appears to be no importation into the United States
from those places. The reason suppose, must be,
! the want Of that pro fcne,s found i'll them here
:" The Caoutchcuc tree may be worked all the year
but generally in the wet they have rest owing
to the flooded state of the woods; and the milk being
wacry, requires To manufacture the articles
than IN the dry season This TO these very reasoning
people, Is sufficient to deter them from working in
winter; extra labor giving them unpleasant feelings.
THE ADMINISTRATION the minutes of the Annu-
al Conferences of the Methodist Episcopal Church oI
the year lSi3ii just published il appears that the
nett increase of members during the year, was 102
~}l This added 10 the increase Of the previous year
namely, lJi,62l makes the unprecedented increase
of 2J1,l)j III the short period Of two years. and the
whole number Of members of the Methodist Ep.sco-
pal Church, LII 800 The number IF the travel
ling preachers, or regular clergy Is PSI of the
pcrannuatcd, or worn out travelling preachers, :S39
and that of the local or lay preachers. S,0S7. Tota
number of preachers, l2.7cS In other words. the
number of Methodist Preachers in the United State
and Texas. exceeds that of tic standing army Of thc
United States. II is fact worthy Of notice, that ou
of the whole number of travelling preachers, it was
found necessary during the last year II eVpcl only
two from the connection. One was Il man IN the west
crn part OF THIS State, who found guilty Of forge
~; the other was member of the liOl>ton Confer
cncc, whose offence Is not mentioned. The number
of Withdrawals was, however. very con idorabc, be
ing less than thrty-onc. The minis crs who with
drew were all members Of northern conferences an,
drawal, was probably the churc!'s connection witt
slavery in the south.
If the McIodsts should continue t. increase at tho
rate they have done during the lat two years, the,
would ovcrshadow all the d.hcr religious deacmina
tions in the land But ion and expansion be
long 90 churches we'll banks; and we pcrccv,
from the minutes of the conferences last held. boor
making up the accounts Tor the year, that reaction
has alrcady commenced. Within the bounds If tllcs
four conferences. namely, the Baltimore Tie p.iladcl
pa. tie New Jersey. and tic New York the arrrc
gate decrease 7,5li. In the city of Bai,linor,
the wliiic membership reduced from 9239 20 :,
-. ana the cClorcd membership from 1910 To- BIB
showing an aggregate decrease Of 1874. The TWEEN
tyiour churches Of the city and bcre, of philadel
plia have had their white membership reduced from
II ,C90 t. l0,3i) and the coiorcd from 23I To- IL
aggregate decrease 100. The VIII to membership o
tie twenty-five churches of New York city and pun
~ has decreased from 91l6 10 9i9l-but the colorc,
has increased from 81 10 u nett decrease. Boz II
the five churches Of Brooklyn. the white membership
has been reduced from 22) 10 lS2O, and the colorc,
from i 10 : tc.ai decrease lc3
In some OF the villages and other small towns il
this ehby,h,od the decrease is still more rcnlr1
able. Thus nj Flushing the number Of member, q
the Methodist Episcopal Church has been reduced fro,
ID 10 100; AT Bushwick, from l29 10 -, or NOR
than one half
1t is 10 be observed that there are other Methods
organizations besides that of the Methods, Epscopa
Church and to some of them the scccdcrs may hay
attached themselves. Removals beyond the bounda
ries of the conference, may account ir other portion
of the decrease. Bat the decrease in the socict.c
, throughout tie bound, of the fnr conference IL
held l. general that cannp, but attribute area
part of 1t 20 tia, c5b winch Is sure t. follow grca
flood, well in religious rcia and inan
cal aiialrs.N y. PoN