4S6 WHALE-FISHERY. 



mental forms, as head-dresses ; and the black ena- 

 mel, and the coarser material of wliich the interior 

 is composed, have been worked into a great variety 

 of useful articles, for which patents have been ob- 

 tained. The black enamel is employed in the same 

 way as cane, in the construction of the seats or backs 

 of chairs, gigs, sofas, &c. ; and the grosser parts in 

 the interior of the blade, when divided into fibres, 

 and curled, are capable of being used in the stuffing 

 of mattresses, &c. The hair on the edge of the 

 whalebone, answers admirably every purpose of bul- 

 lock's hair in stuffings for chairs, sofas, settees, car- 

 riages, mattresses, cushions, &c. An attempt has 

 been made to build whale-boats of this material ; 

 but the great alteration which takes place in its di- 

 mensions, in diffijrent states of the atmosphere^ on 

 account of its ready absorption of moist-'ire, renders 

 it inapplicable. It has been used, with a much bet- 

 ter effect, in the construction of portmanteaus, and 

 trayelling trunks. Hygrometers, the ramrods of 

 fowling-pieces, fishing-rods, the shafts, spring's, and 

 wlieels of carriages, &c. are articles, in the formation 

 of which, whalebone has already been employed. 



The following is a list of some patents which 

 have been taken out for the peculiar appropriation 

 of this substance. 



1. Mr Bowman, of Leith, obtained a, patent, bear- 

 ing date 30th of October 1807, for the adapta- 



