Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1850-03-04
Fr m The Scientific american.
CHINESE PRINTING
A. G IL.

The following article from .Mansrrs Typographical
.hlsceHany, will be read with much lnreresi:
The 'hlnese claIm n very high antiquity for their
art OF printing. Even in the reign of WIN Wang, WIN
lived about 100 years hef ne Christ, lhpy are said To
have been well acquainted with H.. The japanese, how
ever; claim the merit of the invention. In Thihet. alsp.
the MT ct printing was prartIsed at a very rpmnte date
ne pre'ensions al these nations Ia so early an invention
oil 'h'lr rude art. has led many learned commentators To
treat their claims with very lullp respect. and To fix a
more recent period for It's introduction. But it does not
seem ul'n T. ilecilon. 10 BIZ 50 very marvellous that any
nation, however rude. should have hil upon a process of
pria'lng at any period. On the c ,ntrary. it is a ma ter
ct wonder hat the Fpypiians, the Grpriaus. and The Ro.
mans, with all heir wIsd IN. and Nil their nercssites { r
such an art, should have rrmaircl ignorant ofit. Il
hao h'eh the custom. for Thousands OF years. la make i'm
pft ssl"ns with seals upon wax, vet no scive mind grasp
ed Tue hln', that a mighty at awaited the touch Of GEM
us to spring into being. Who can conceive what woull
nave been the state of the world in our day, had those
nations possessed he art Of printing!
Inc mode pursued by the Chinese in their practice of
me act OF printing is thus described by The author of
Sketches ot thina. II NAV be thought very rude hut
when II Ia considered that every character IN their Ian.
guagf is a word. II will be seen that the Introduction of
separate tyres would be attended with small advantage.
Inc means IN use m'ng the Chinese for pod cling
an impression OF letters appears To- he nearly thesam' with
those invented in the infancy Of the art. Blocks Of hard
"o'd, or misses Of metal forming a kind of stereotype
are prlntcd from. by a simple and EXPEDITIONS process.
ana solely by manual labor, as presses for The purpose
are eh'rels unknown. The Canton Gaz 'tte, kind of
court journal OF appointments, arrivals, AMI departures.
~ one ot The lew publications which are prined from
lhnVeahle types. The blocks which are mostly used for
ehgtaNInS these sterentypes upon. are made Of hard and
wen seas ned who'd, divided. into slabs, in tie direction
VI que gram. The subject 10 be engraved is carefully
written or drawn on thin paper. and pasted reversed up
on 'ne board; the wood is then cut from around the
characters, aud the letters remain in low relief. Much
care Is used In adjusting the written pattern, as il is
""' possible 10 rprtIfy a mistake on copper or other me
"', ! ne c st Of engraving depends entirely on the size
ANA aeIlracy ot he letters. he price iurreaslnu in prapor-
Won 10 The smallness Of the type. The equipments Of
a printer are very Simple and cheap. and the operations
less complicated than almost any other mechanical pro
cess The board at slab Of wood is placed on a table he
lore the workman, and a pile OF dry paper. cut 10 the
proper SIC, at his side, when, with a rude ba;nbno brush
a 'oa'ihg o' liquid Indian i0k is put upon it a sheet of
paper Is then iiacrd on the top. and he Impression com
P'e'fu oy rubbing II over once or vice with a Kind If
vegetable 1hre; the sheet is then lifted of. and the pro-
cess repeated with the next.
ihe paper used is very hin and is only printed on one
she, the sheet Is folded with the blank sides. ia contact
and the edges are hound intc the back Of The hook
"'A'ng II resemble a volume, The leaves of which are
Uncut 'ne paging, &c,.i Is on the external margin. IL
'hlS slnple manner, all the books and enpravipos on
wood are printed, and a skillful workman is able 10 mo-
n''e me inp'eSslons with as much ctlptiiy ms our own.
WIN he use ct the press. Works of minor rnnseaneucs
are generally executed in a nmsy and imperfect manner
IN" printing oi snre being vety ind iferen, at first and
"tahy nnlhtelleihle by the time a fhl edition has been
taken oil. The price o. books is low. and ih,re IN MT,
Hefnns hmk shops and stalls in all nrincipal streets Tho
llnding Is very different fum our own. the covering no
'hs merely s1tt paper. and the title carefully written on
Tue o'''ofn leaves. Five or SIX volumes are enrlosed in
u paste b arr case, and The books arranged ON shelves. a,
rs 10 present the utlrs /, The front. spurious ednio,s
aVs's "'. Ne'!'1mn'n.a ad have never discovered