Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1843-07-14
VOL. as, NO. 45.-wHoLE NO. 1917.


ment and material for the exercise of great skill
in these branches Of the mechanic arts.
The Egyptian joIners and cabinet makers how
ever, seem TO have anticipated not only modern
improvements in working wood, but modern
fashions. This we know, not only from palnilng' |
but from the wooden objects found in the toinbs
They had chairs both stuffed and plain, precisely
similar, to claw feet, those in fashion with
in twenty years. They practised veneering, mar
quelry or innying, Jovetang, dowelling the
imitation Of variega;ed and knotted wood by pain
ting and staining, and were familiar with the use
of glue. They employed all the oners tools
now used, though OF rude workmanship, except
the pla;Ie of which, in it's present form, they
seem to have been ignorant, using in its stead the
adZe, chisel ard pumice stone. The Greeks and
Romans generally supposed TO have been ac-
quanted with The plane, but the elymology of the
word used in both languages and translated plane,
seems to indicate that it was rather an adze, or
implement in the form of mutock.
The qualities of different woods in respect TO
strength and durability, and the means OF season.
ing them and rendering them less obnoxious 10
decay and the attacks Of insects, would form an
interesting subject of observation, did our limits
permit. In general it mny be observed, that the
heaviest, hardest, and most durable woods are
found between the tropics, though the sycamore oil
Egypt, and the oaks Of temperate climates are
both tough and lasting. The hest woods for the
frames of ships are the teak OF India and Africa,
which is heavier than water, the live oak of our
southern States which is nearly as heavy, the
English oak and the American locust ind red
cedar. For spars, planks, and other lighter parts
of vessels, well us for the frame aud joiner
work OF houses, The resinous woods of the North
furnish the best materials.
The art OF seasoning timber is imperfectly un-
derstood, but kiln drying and a short immersion
in running water are thought to he the best meth.
DDS. Many plans have been devised for expeling
the natural juices of wood, and filling the pores
and sap vessels with mineral salts and other sub
Stances, for the purpose of rendering ii durable
The most celebrated of these processes is TINT cal
led kyanising from kayan, the inventor. 1t con
slSs IN inpregnatiug the wood with a solution OF
corrosive subllmale, aud is very efecluaI, though
expensive, and in some other respects objectiona-
bic. Con! tar has been used with advantage for
the same purpose, aud very recent invention
by an American is highly commended by per-
sons competent TO Judge. This process is nppi-
cable TO cordage, sails aud other articles well
to wood, and is thought 10 be not less etfectual
than kyanizng. The substances used for i'm
ORIGINATING the wood or other material ore the
suphales of iron and copper.
| Spinning and weaving are entitled to be ranked
among the primitive arts. In what country
they were invented, or what material was first
converted into cloth, is uncertain bur it is proba
BILE, that these arts originated in those warm re-
BlOUS Nileie IIldu uUl lilht lHe
bark of trees, cotton or some Other vegetable fila
nent was employed. In the most ancient hslor
cal records oia civilized people, we find mention
OF these arts, and many mythologles have defied
their inventors. 1t is probable that spinning was
first employed for The manufacture OF twine, for
binding the separate parts of rude implements to-
gether anG necessity would soon suggest the use
Of the net in fishing, and from the net, the trans.
ton 10 a closer and finer texture is easy The
perishable nature OF all texlible substances has
left us few remains of ancient woven textures, eX-
cept those of Egypt, where great quantities Of
colh were CONSUMED in envelopng embalmed
bodies. The paintings in the tombs represent
persons spinning aud weaving, and splndles and
other implements as connected with The fabi lea
ton Of cloth have been found in The Egyptian ru.
ms Greek sculp ture has preserved some similar
representations, and the free and flowing drapery
of their statues and the testimony of history both
sacred and proiane, show that very fine textures
were more or less in use among all the civilized
nations OF the remOtest antiquity. Thc cloln in
which the mummles enveoped has been
proved by microscopic observations TO he uni
lormy linen, though we have historical evidence
that The Egyptians wove cotton, linen aud WOOL
The fincness OF texture OF some Of the linen
found in the Egyptian tombs is surprising In
one Instance, there is not less than 270 double
threads to the inch in the warp, while the WOO
has but 10. This dispropo rIion is observable ia
all the Egyptian linens, The warp having also from
TWO 10 four times MS many threads TO the inch Il.
the wool, and is probably owing to their aborious
process of weaving, in which according TO the
paintings, the wool was not thrown by the
shuttle but inserted by long rod having hole
at each end. No European texture is 6ner Than
the Egyptian linen, though il is surpassed in fine
ness OF thread by the cotton musns of India
The thread was spun from the dstuff or rather
spindle by hand, as 1t still is in the finest produc
lions OF lndla aud the looms were of the rudes
aud simplest construction. Nothing but a very
dense population, and very great consequent
cheapness Of labor can expluu the production
OF great quantities Of fine cloths, by such appa
rany inadequate means. OF wooIlen cloths
which were manufactured by processes equal,
simple, am not aware that any very ancient spec.
linens exist. Fragments have been found in Den.
mark aud other northern countries satisfactory,
ascertaned to he nearly 900 years old These
are of coarse but curious TEXTURE the thread dou-
bic and twisted, the web lwilled
Wooden cloths were the general material for al
parts of the dress throughout Europe the fines
vegetable textures, though known, being little used
until IL comparatively late PERIOD and indeed cot
ton hardly became common until the disc Jvery
of the passage around the Cape of Goou Hope O
peneG India 10 the commerce. of the west The
substitution of cotton for woolien is thought tC
have highly important influence on health, ant
by some the disappearance of leprosy aud olhe
allied culaneous diseases has been ascrlbed Il
this change. silk was employed in weaving, al
very early period, but scarcely known IN Europe
until about the commencement OF our era, and the
SILK worm was not introduced until the sixth cen
Jury, though raw silk hal been imported aud man
uiactured somewhat earlier The strength, soft
ness, durability, ind beauty of the manufacture
of silk render ii superior for general purposes &c
any other known textile MATERIAL and in value
ranks first among American imports, the quaitir!
imported in lS4l being not less than $l4O00,0 0t
IN value.
Perhaps the most admired production of tn
loom is The fabric generally called camel's han
but which is rea from the wool of the Cash
mere or Thbet goat. 1t Is usually manufactured
into shawIs, which are sold at enormous prices
owing 10 the scarcity OF The raw material, aud tn
tedious process Of manufacturing, which howev
ever European ingenuity has simpilfei. In 1921
Il