The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1876-08-24

niiicent creatures were created.
There are some scarcely larger than
a pea, which change in order from
an emrald green to an azure as the
light strikes them on either side;
others a. large as hazel nuts, which
blaze with red; and others speckled
and veined like pebbles with neutral
tints. The insects lie in little trays
among the butterflies of enormous
size and brilliant hucs, whose wings
arc often grotesqucly fgurcd-onc
specimen particularly having an
odd likeness to an owls head. Be-
sides these there are brooches and
earrings formed ofhumming birds,
fans, etc, beautifully and wonder
fully made.
Although Brazil makes no spec
ialty of silk manufacture, the I'M
pcrial Agricultural Institute at Rio
Janeiro has for several years, with
the assistance of the government,
cndcavorcd to give an impulse to
silk culture, aud the results of their
labors arc admirably displayed in
the Brazilian Department in Ma
chincry Hall. Various specimens
Of the silk-worm which arc worthy
of cultivation are found in abund-
ancc throughout the Empire. The
moth is about an inch long, ola pale
yellow color. The females arc in
active, and die few hours after
dcpositing their eggs. These are
about the size of mustard seeds.
If the weather is warm and dry, the
young will emerge in II few days,
and almost Immediately begin cat
ing ravcnously. When full grown,
they arc three inches long and light
green in color. 1t has been calcu-
lated that the product of an ounce
ofcggs eats upwards of 1 200 pounds
of mulberry-leaves, and furnishes
120pounds ofcocoons. The cocoons
consist of the sheath Of loose fila
mcnts attached to the twigs that
support the whole, and beneath this
the internal coat Of soft flossy silk,
within which is the compact oval
ball, or cocoon proper. The thread
is pushed through two oriiiccs in
the nose of the worm, after being
laid in successive coats in its con-
stantly diminishing tenement, not
regularly as round u ball, but, by
being passed back and forth in one
place after another, in such Il man
ncr that man.. yards may be wound
of without turning over the ball.
Before the chrysalis natures, and
the moth can begin to cat his way
out, the cocoons are exposed to II
moderate. degree ofhcat. The floss
covering being opened at one end,
the cocoon is slipped out and is
then ready to be mwound. -Four
or five cocoons arc placed in each
of number of compartments, in a
sort of basin holding hot water, kept
at requisite temperature by means
ofsteam pipes. The gummy matters
are softcncd by the water, and the
fibre thus released. Next, the ends
arc caught up by small broom,
with which the cocoons are stirred,
and those from each compartment
being brought together arc passed
through an cyclct, which strips of
a portion of the gum, and thence,
through several others, to the reel.
The silk, as taken from the reels, is
made up into what arc known as
books, for expectation, and as hanks,
for domestic use. All these pro-
ccsscs arc constantly going on in
the Brazilian department, to the
wonder and delight of crowds of
interested spectators, who are in
steady attendance throughout each
day to witness the marvellous work
of the insect silk spinners.
Some of the gew-gaw vending
Turks and Arabs at the Exhibition
wish that they had stayed in Ger
many or west of the Mississippi,
where they and their fathers before
them were born and bred. Said one
of them yesterday: 81 tell yer,
pard, at Vienna | make bushels of
tollar; here, at dis Scmtcngial, |
not make 'noug salt ter sprinkle a
dom-dit's dail-'s'hclp me.' This
speech he accompanied with efforts
to make known by gesture what he
could not speak. His case is not
an exceptional one. The proprietor
of one of the "lIoly Land bazaars
says that che shut up next week und
90 homc,' if he does not before
then begin to do some business.
There are no less than seven of
these "Palcstinc" bazaars, and while,
perhaps, three-fourths of the attend
ants are what they represent them
selves to bc-Syrians, Turks or
Arabs-all the others arc innocent
of mohammcdan blood. They have,
however, succeeded admirably in
tanning their faccs-by solar pro-
cess or otherwise and in adjusting
to their persons thoroughly Mus
sulman costumc-a red fcz cap,
trousers resembling two salt-sacks
joined from the waist to the knees,
and having their mouths tucked
tightly around the legs just above
the ankles, and dappcr little en-
broidcred jacket, of the zouavc
fashion. The keepers of most the
bazaars, instead of piling up a for
tune, do no more than to clear OK
pcnscs. The only ones making any