A CERTAIN BITUMEN OR FIRE MASTIC, WHICH WOULD BE FOUND AN EXPEDITIOUS, DURABLE, EFFICATIOUS COVERING OR SHEATHING FOR SHIPS AT WAR, AND ALL OTHER SHIPS AND SHIPPING IN ALL SEASONS AND CLIMATES, AS, FROM THE HARDNESS, TESTURE, AND BENDING QUALI- TIES THEREOF, NO WORM OR OTHER INSECT COULD EVER PERVADE THE JOINTS OR PLANKS OR OTHER PARTS OF ANY SHIPS COVERED THEREWITH, AND FROM THE SMOOTH- NESS AND POLISH WHICH THE SAID BITUMEN NATURALLY FORMS AND ELUBITS, DEPEATS THE ADHESION OF ANY WEEDS, Moss, SLIME, SURF, OR OTHER OFFENSIVE AND REPUG- NANT MATTER, WHICH IN GENERAL CORRODE THE BOTTOMS AND IMPEDE THE SAILING OF SHIPS,
Year: 1779

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Third,
by His Letter Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-sixth day of May last, in the nineteenth year of His
reign, therein reciting that Isaac Narbell, of Chelsea, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Gentleman, had, by his petition, humbly represented that he had, with
much labour and great expence, invented and discovered "A CERTAIN BITUMEN
OR FIRE MASTIC, WHICH WOULD BE FOUND AN EXPEDITIOUS, DURABLE, EFFICATIOUS
COVERING OR SHEATHING FOR SHIPS AT WAR, AND ALL OTHER SHIPS AND SHIPPING IN
ALL SEASONS AND CLIMATES, AS, FROM THE HARDNESS, TESTURE, AND BENDING QUALI-
TIES THEREOF, NO WORM OR OTHER INSECT COULD EVER PERVADE THE JOINTS OR
PLANKS OR OTHER PARTS OF ANY SHIPS COVERED THEREWITH, AND FROM THE SMOOTH-
NESS AND POLISH WHICH THE SAID BITUMEN NATURALLY FORMS AND ELUBITS, DEPEATS
THE ADHESION OF ANY WEEDS, Moss, SLIME, SURF, OR OTHER OFFENSIVE AND REPUG-
NANT MATTER, WHICH IN GENERAL CORRODE THE BOTTOMS AND IMPEDE THE SAILING
OF SHIPS, SO THAT AFTER A VOYAGE OF TWO OR THREE YEARS, EVEN IN THE MOST
PERNICIOUS CLIMATES, VESSELLS SHEATHED WITH THIS BITUMEN WILL RETURN. INTO
PORT WITH CLEAN AND PURE BOTTOMS, WHICH, EXCLUSIVE OF ALL OTHER ADVANTAGES,
WILL RENDER THE IMMENCE EXPENSE, LABOR, AND LOSS OF TIME IN CAULKING AND
CAREENING TOTALLY UNNECESSARY; THAT THE SAID BITUMEN MAY BE MADE INTO
CAKES OF ANY SIZE, AND NOT BE LIABLE TO INJURY BY ANY CLIMATE OR ELEMENT,,
MAY BE USED OR CARRIED AS BALLAST IN ANY SHIP SUFFICIENT FOR ITS CONSUMPTION

page_text: AND BEING REDUCED BY FIRE TO A LIQUID STATE WOULD BE POUND EMINENTLY
SERVICEABLE IN THE STOPPAGE OF LEAKES AND ALL OTHER CAUSUALTIES WHICH CALL
POR THE INCESSANT LABOUR OF THE PUMP; AND A LIGHT COVERING THEREOF WOULD
ALSO EFFECTUALLY PREVENT THE STAVING AND BURSTING OF THE CASKS CONTAINING
WATER, BEER, WINES, AND OTHER LIQUORS FOR THE NAVY, OPTEN ATTENDED WITH
THE MOST DISAGREEABLE CONSEQUENCES; THAT THE SAID BITUMEN WOULD ALSO BE
FOUND OF THE GREATEST UTILITY IN MANY OF THE EXTENSIVE MANUFACTORIES
ESPECIALLY FOR THE COVERING OR LINING OF SUGAR BAKERS' MOULDS, BREWERS'
COOLERS, BACKS, MARSH TUBBS, DYERS' PITTS, VATTS FOR TANNERS, GUTTERS,
TROUGHS, PANTHOUSES, ROOFS OF HOUSES, WATER PIPES, CONDUITS, CISTERNS, BATHS,
BRIDGES, FORTIFICATIONS, EMBANKMENTS, TIMBER PILES, AND MANY OTHER LARGE
ERECTIONS AND BUILDINGS, AS WELL UNDER AS ABOVE WATER;" also further reciting
that he, the said Isaac Narbell, had, with great study, various experiments,
and considerable expence, invented and brought to great perfection another
"COMPOSITION CALLED THE ESUPTIAN MASTIC, WHICH, BEING REDUCED FROM STONE
INTO A STATE OF PLIABILITY FOR THE TROWELL, MIGHT BE LAID ON ALL TIMBER
BUILDINGS, THE WALLS AND OTHER COMPONENT PARTS OF HOUSES, AND IN A YEW
HOURS AFTER WILL ACQUIRE SUCH A DECREE OF HARDNESS AND STRENGTH OF CON-
SISTENCE AS TO BE NOT ONLY IMPERVIOUS TO WATER AND ALL DAMPS OR MOISTURE,
BUT WILL EFFECTUALLY PRESERVE ALL BUILDINGS FROM FIRE, AND MAY THEREFORE
BE EMINENTLY SERVICEABLE IN SECURING ALL OUR STORES AND WAREHOUSES AND
ALL OTHER PUBLICK ERECTIONS, AND WILL BE EQUALLY USEFUL IN LINING AND
STOPPING THE OUTZINGS OF WATER INTO SHIPS DECKS; THAT BARRACKS OR ANY
OTHER PUBLICK BUILDINGS, SOLELY COMPOSED OF TIMBER, MAY BE EASILY COVERED
WITH THE MASTIC, AND WILL ANSWER EVERY PURPOSE OF BRICK OR STONE WALLS,
AND THE TIMBER OR FRAMES COVERED THEREWITH BE EASILY CONVEYED TO ANY
PART OF HIS MAJESTY'S DOMINIONS FOR THE AMPLE ACCOMMODATION OF THE ARMY;
THAT THE SAID EGUPTIAN MASTIC MAY ALSO BE CAST INTO MOULDS OF DIFFERENT
FORMS AND OF ANY MAGNITUDE FOR BUILDINGS AND EVERY SPECIES OF ORNA-
MENT, AND ALTHOUGH IT WILL RECEIVE AND RETAIN THE PUREST AND CLEAREST
IMPRESSIONS OF ART WHILST IN A STATE OF DISSOLUTION, IT WILL IN A FEW HOURS
AFTERWARDS RECOVER ITS PRISTINE HARDNESS AND DURABILITY, AND FORM A BEAU-
TIPUL AND LASTING STONE, WITH A WHITENESS AND POLISH EQUAL TO MARBLE WITH-
OUT BAKING, OR ANY OTHER OPERATION OF FIRE WHATSOEVER;" did, give and grant
unto me, the said Isaac Narbell, His said Majesty's especial licence, full power,
sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Isaac Narbell, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, and every of us during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might use, exercise, and vend my said
new Inventions of Eguption Bitumen, and also my new invented Eguptian

page_text: Mastic, within that part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain called
England, the Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and
also His Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, in such manner as to
me, my executors, administrators, or assigns, or any of us, should in our
discretion seem meet; in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that if
I, the said Isaac Narbell, should not describe and ascertain the nature of my said
Inventions, and in what manner the same are to be performed, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in His
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within four kalendar month next and
immediately the date of the said Letters Patent, that then the same
Letters Patent, and all liberties and advantages whatsoever thereby granted,
should utterly cease, determine, and become void, as in and by the said Letters
Patent more at large doth appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Isaac Narbell, in pursuance and compli-
ance with the said proviso, do, by this instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, duly executed, declare that my said new invented Eguptian Bitumen is
made and performed in manner following, that is to say :-
Take one hundred and twelve pounds, commonly called one hundred weight, of
yellow rosin, and fifty-six pounds of black rosin, two hundred said weight of any
white stone ground, and fifty-six pounds of lime, making together four hundred
pounds of said weight; let these be well pulverized and mixt together upon a
floor or other clean place, then melt them together in a ladle or large iron pan
over a good fire till they come to a liquid form or a proper consistance fit to be
used with a mop, with which it is to be laid upon planks, timber of ships, or
otherwise, and, which will answer the many purposes above recited, and will be
found useful in preserving all kinds of timber and woodwork; or the said bitu-
men may be made more portable for freight and carriage by being formed into
cakes of any size by means of being emerged, when melted as aforesaid, into
common spring, pump, or river water, which being reduced by fire may be
used for the several purposes aforesaid.
And I do hereby further declare that my new invented Egyptian Mastic for
plaistering is made and performed as follows, that is to say:-Take one
hundred and twelve pounds, commonly called one hundred weight as aforesaid,
of any white stone pulverized, two hundred of said weight of brick dust,
twenty-eight pounds of quick stone lime solely for colouring the same, one
hundred and a half, being one hundred and sixty-eight pounds of plaister of
Paris; mix these ingredients all together in the powder, and afterwards put
thereto a sufficient quantity of clean water to make it into a pape, paste or
consitance, proper and fit to be used with a trowell made of iron or rather

page_text: horne.... If, the Eguptian Mastic is designed for forming into bricks or used
in. moulds, then take one hundred and twelve pounds, being one hundred
weight, of any 'white stone pulverized, three hundred like weight of sand, one
hundred said weight of grout of soap boilers, and one hundred said weight of
clay of any kind; mix these well together with a spade, then add a proper.
quantity of water, and beat them well together till the whole becomes of .a
consistance of a potter's or brickmaker's clay, fit for mould for bricks or moulds
for any other purpose; which said Eguptian Mastic, either in the plaister,
brick, or moulds, will be found useful for and fully answer the several purposes
mentioned in the said Letters Patent, and herein-above recited..
In witness whereof, I, the said Isaac Narbell, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fourth day of August, in the nineteenth year of the reign
of our Sovereign Lord George the Third, by the Grace of God of Great
Britain, France, and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, and so forth,
and in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and seventy-
nine.