National Baptist world., 1894-11-02
PAPER-MAKING LORE.
The Egyptians Were the First to Discov
the Great Art.

In all ages people have been compelled
to communicate with each other. At
very early period of the worlds exist
ence some material on which to in
scribe any information which they
wished to convey to others was found
necessary. Verbal messages, though
.otten employed by ancient nations, as
a means of communication, were not
always possible to use. Secrets had
often to be transmitted, and it was a
severe trial of bearers fidelity to in
trust him with private affairs. Many
tales are related in history and in le-
gends OF trusty messengers who yield
ed up their lives rather than make
known the secret, which no torture
could drag from their lips. Still fail
ures were not uncommon, and human
ingenuity set to work to invent some
material on which to inscribe signs
which could be understood at dis
tance.
AS people grew more civilized, a de-
mand arose for some material on which
records and histories might be written
ana handed down to posterity. Stones
were probably the earliest form Of
writing material. Even at the present
day in many parts of the world stones
are found bearing inscriptions 1t
would seem that among the earlier
races of mankind any records OF great
Importance was generally engraved
upon stone, as being the more likely
to be permanent. The same feeling
may be traced in the present genera.
tlon, the inscriptions ON tombs, foun.
dation stones of public buildings and
monuments.
Stones not being convenient for the
transmission of long messages, though
admirably adapted for receiving in.
scriptions intended to outlast dynas.
ties, other materials were tried. Lead,
brass and bricks were all found to re.
semble stone too much in it's property
OF not being portable. Lead was found
to be the best, as it could be
beaten out into thin sheets and
written upon with iron or steel
Instruments It's weight, however,
was against it. Tablets of wood,
wax and ivory, skins of fishes,
intestines of serpents, were all en-
ployed as substitutes, and were found
to combine the requirements Of porta-
bility, durability and facility of re-
ceiving writing
The bark of trees whom once tried
was found to be superior to most Of the
other materials, and it was employed
largely till the introduction of paper.
There are but few kinds of plants or
trees which have not been used in the
manufacture of books and paper, and
the various terms employed by the
classic authors denote the several parts
which were written on, such as biblos,
codex, leber, tabula and others
Of paper proper itself, it is perhaps
needless to remind our readers that
the name is derived from the papyrus.
a reed growing on the banks of tho
Nile. Though Egypt is naturally sup
posed to be the sour ce whence came
the idea OF making paper, evidence is
not wanting in favor of the theory
that the Chinese were acquainted with
the art at very early period. The
chinese process is more ingenious than
hat of the ancient Egyptians, being
more OF manufacture, properly speak.
ng, than the other
The Egyptian paper made from the
'apyrus was made by laying thin
'lates OF tissue, taken from the middle
IT the paperrush, side by side, but
lose together, on a hard, smooth table;
'ther pieces were then laid across the
irst at right angles; the whole was
noistened with the water of the Nile.
which was supposed to have some ag-
property Though this
probably resided in the plant ITSELF,
nd pressure Was then applied for
ertain number of hours. Thus,
heet of paper was formed which re-
uired no other finishing than rubbing
nd polishing with smooth stone, or
nth a solid.glass hemisphere, and drv-
lg in the sun.
This simple process was rather
reparation of natural paper than a
manufacture. The process adopted by
ne Chinese comes, as already remark.
d, more legltlmately under that head
The small branches of a tree resem.
ling mulberry tree are cut by them
l lengths of about three feet, and
oiled in an alkaline I've, for the sake
loosening the inner rind or bark.
hich is then peeled off and dried for
Sc. When a sufficient quantity OF
ark has been thus laid up, it is again
)ftened in water for three Or four
ays, and the outer parts are scraped
f as useless; the rest is boiled in clear
7e, which is kept strongly agitated
Ii the time. until the bark has become
ender and separated into distinct
bers. 1t is then placed in a pan OF
eve and washed in running stream.
eing at the same time worked with
lie hands until it becomes a delicate
Id soft pulp.
For the finer sorts of paper, the pulp
ceives second washing in a linep
lg. 1t is then spread out on smooth
bic and beaten with wooden mallet
ltil it is extremely fine. So far the
is very much like what is
rried on by the paper makers of the
esent day, they having the advan
ge of better materials than the bark
trees, and machinery now performs
the laborious washing and pulpinn
Ocesses.
The ingenuity of the Chinese in in.
nting so complicated process is fan
perior to that of the Egyptians. The
ocess related above of making pape,
1m the papVruS is so Siunla and ob