358 Mr. Thomson on the Mummy Cloth of Egypt; 



scribed, and which is accurately delineated in the accompany- 

 ing drawing. 



This form and character the fibres retain ever after, and in 

 that respect undergo no change through the operation of 

 spinning, weaving, bleaching, printing, and dyeing, nor in all 

 the subsequent domestic operations of washing, &c, till the stuff 

 is worn to rags; and then even the violent process of reducing 

 those rags to pulp for the purpose of making paper, effects 

 no change in the structure of these fibres. " With Ploessl's 

 microscope," says Mr.Bauer, " I can ascertain whether cotton 

 rags have been mixed with linen in any manufactured paper 

 whatever." 



The elementary fibres of flax {Linum usitatissimum) are also 

 transparent tubes, cylindrical, and articulated or jointed like a 

 cane. This latter structure is only observable by the aid of 

 an excellent instrument. They are accurately delineated in 

 the annexed engraving. 



Explanation of the Plate. 



First row of figures: A. Fibres of the unripe seed of cotton. 

 In that state the fibres are perfect cylindrical tubes. At* is 

 a fibre represented as seen under water, showing that the water 

 had gradually entered and inclosed several air-bubbles, prov- 

 ing the tube to be quite hollow and without joints. 



B. The first two fibres are from ripe cotton and are already 

 twisted, though the pod or capsule is not yet burst, and is 

 still on the growing plant. The other three fibres are of raw 

 cotton prepared for manufacture. 



C. Various fibres of unravelled threads of manufactured 

 cotton. The fibres of cotton in the annexed drawing are re- 

 presented T ^ of an inch in length, and are magnified 400 

 times in diameter. In thickness these fibres vary from ^^ 

 to t ^q o P art °f an i ncn * The twists or turns in a fibre of 

 cotton are from 300 to 800 in an inch. 



Second row of figures : 



Fig. 1. Fibres of raw flax before spinning. 



Fig. 2. Fibres of unravelled threads of manufactured flax. 



Figg. 3, 4?, 5. Fibres of the unravelled threads of various 



mummy cloths. 

 Fig. 6. Fibres of unravelled threads of the cloth of Dr. 



Granville's mummy, supposed to be cotton. The 



specimens are all flax, and the fibres remarkably 



strong and large. 

 Fig. 7. Fibres of unravelled threads of several Ibis mummies. 

 Fig. 8. Fibres of unravelled threads of the mummy of an 



ox's head. 



