Class I. O X. 



The bending willow into barks they twine ; 

 Then line the work with fpoils of flaughter'd kine. 

 Such are the floats Venetian fifhers know, 

 Where in dull marflies (lands the fettling Po ; 

 On fuch to neighboring Gaul^ allured by gain. 

 The bolder Britons crofs the fwelling main. Rowe. 



Vefiels of this kind are flill in ufe on the Irijh 

 lakes ; and on the Bee and Severn : in Ireland they 

 are called Ciirach^ in England Co racles^ from the 

 Britijh Cwrwgl^ a word fignifying a boat of that 

 ftru6lure. 



At prefcnt, the hide, when tanned and curried, 

 ferves for boots, fhoes, and numberlefs other con- 

 veniences of life. 



Vellum is made of calves fkin, and goldbeaters 

 fkin is made of a thin vellum, or a finer part of the 

 ox's guts. The hair mixed with lime is a necefl^ary 

 article in building. Of the horns are made combs, 

 boxes, handles for knives, and drinking veflels ; 

 and when foftened by water, obeying the manufadu- 

 rer's hand, they are formed into pellucid laminse for 

 the fides of lanthorns. Thefe laft conveniences 

 we owe to our great king Alfred^ who firfl invented 

 them to preferve his candle time meafurers, from 

 the wind * ; or (as other writers will have it) the 

 tapers that were ki up before the reliques in the 

 miferable tattered churches of that time f . 



* Anderfon^ s hiji. commerce, I. 45. 

 f Stanley^ s hift. of churches, 103. 



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