882 Rev. Mr Scoresby on the Arctic Sea and Ice. 



fire In the bottom of a large chest, bunches of the straw being placed on 

 long hazel rods across, and the lid shut down. Elsewhere, the articles 

 are described as being placed in a small close room, in which a chafing 

 dish of sulphur is placed and set fire to. Sometimes the operation re- 

 quires to be done twice before it succeeds. 



*' The straw for use is classed or stapled like our wool. Children or 

 inferior hands, work the course thick straw, while good hands work the 

 fine only. Whether fine or coarse, it is only the part on which the 

 spike gi-ows that is made use of, and it is always the same plait, con- 

 sisting of thirteen straws, which is worked. In the fine plait, there is 

 a very great waste of straw, as they reject all that is in the least too 

 thick, and they cut off a considerable part of the straw where it comes near 

 the flower spike. Fine plait is not accounted good, unless very much 

 drawn together, for which end it is worked very wet. Tlye bunches of 

 straw are always put into a small jar filled with cold water, which 

 stands beside the worker. After being smoked and pressed, the plait 

 is made up into hats by women, who do nothing else ; it is put toge- 

 ther by the edges, not overlapped. On the operation of pressing a 

 great deal depends. There are only two good machines for that pur- 

 pose in the country. 



" Such is the practice for procuring the hat-straw. What they sow 

 for seed is in other ground : Not one-fourth of the seed is used, and 

 the gi-ain is allowed to come to maturity in the usual way. It is said 

 to be a capital wheat for vermicelli^ macaroni, &c. and also for making 

 into bread. 



" It ought to be taken into view, that, for the use of the manufac- 

 ture in Scotland, the straw should not exceed one-eighteenth of an 

 inch in diameter. When coarser, it does not answer the market; and 

 much of the very finest straw is not required, because the bonnets made 

 fi'om it are too expensive." 



Remarks on Dr LattcCs Observations on the Artie Sea and Ice. 

 In a communication from the Rev. Mr Scoresby to Professor 

 Jameson *. 



vJn reading Dr Latta's *■' Observations on the Arctic Sea and 

 Ice -f-,'' in the last number of the Edinburgh New Philosophical 

 Journal, I was rather surprised at the following hasty, and, 

 if I mistake not, unwarrantable remark. Speaking of the cli- 

 mate of Spitzbergen, Dr Latta refers to my Account of the 

 Arctic Regions, saying " Mr Scoresby, biassed by the indica- 

 tions of the thermometer, reasons himself into the supposition, 

 that the climate, during summer, is more temperate than even 



• Read before the Wenierian Society, 10th March 1827- 



t Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal, October— December 1826. 



