732 CARPET 



nature of these pit* being such as to prevent their being worked a second year, on 

 account of the heavy rains causing the sides to fall in ; so that new ones must be 

 opened at the conclusion of every rainy season. The soil is gravelly, and consists 

 chiefly of quartz-sand, reddened with iron and a little clay. The nodules weigh from 

 a few ounces to even two or three pounds, and lie close to each other, but for the most 

 part distinct, not being in strata, but scattered through the masses in great abundance. 



' On the spot, the carnelians are mostly of a blackish-olive colour, like common dark 

 flints, others somewhat lighter, others still lighter with a milky tinge ; but it is quite 

 uncertain what appearance they will assume after they have been burnt. 



' From Neemoudra they are carried by the merchants to Cambay, where they are 

 cut, polished, and formed into beautiful ornaments, for which that city is so justly 

 celebrated.' Copeland, Bombay Eesearches ; Hamilton's Description of Hindostan, 

 4to. 1820. 



The stones from Cambay are offered in commerce, cut and uncut, as roundish 

 pebbles from 1 to 3 inches in diameter. The colour of red carnelian of Cambay varies 

 from the palest flesh-colour to the deepest blood-red ; the latter being most in demand 

 for seals and trinkets. The white are scarce, but when white and uniform they are 

 valuable ; the yellow and variegated are of little estimation in the Bombay market. 



The present trade in these stones cannot be correctly ascertained, as in the Board of 

 Trade returns they are now included with precious stones ' of the inferior class, unset.' 

 The value of the imports cannot be ascertained. 



CARDS TREE. Ceratonia Siliqua. This tree is often called St. John's Bread, 

 from the idea that it furnished the ' locusts ' and ' wild honey ' to St. John when in 

 the wilderness. It is an evergreen tree of large size, and is the only tree that grows 

 in Malta. It grows abundantly in Palestine. The ripe fruit has a sweetish taste, 

 and is eaten in times of scarcity by the country people. Large quantities of the 

 fruit are sent annually from Palestine to Alexandria, and thence to Constantinople. 

 The Turks pulp it with liquorice root and other fruits, to make their sherbet. The 

 bark is sometimes, on account of its astringency, employed as a substitute for oak 

 bark in tanning hides. M. Mennons, of Paris, has patented the application of the 

 carob beans to the production of a species of glucose or fermentable sugar adapted to 

 a variety of manufacturing purposes. 



CAROTINS. The colouring principle of the carrot (Daucus Carota), which is 

 associated in the root with a colourless substance called hydrocarotine. 



CARPET. (Tapis, Fr. ; Teppich, Ger.) A thick woollen fabric of variegated 

 colours, for covering the floors of the better sort of apartments. This luxurious 

 manufacture took its origin in Persia and Turkey, whence the most beautiful patterns 

 were wont to come into Europe ; but they have been for some time surpassed by the 

 workmanship of France, Great Britain, and Belgium. To form a just conception of 

 the elegant and ingenious processes by which carpets are made, we should visit the 

 State establishment of the Gobelins at Paris. 



The warp, says Mr. Roland, being the foundation of the fabric, ought to be of fine 

 wool, equally but firmly spun, and consists of three yarns twisted into one thread. 

 The yarns that are to form the velvety surface of the carpet ought also to be of the 

 best quality, but soft and downy in their texture, so that the dye may penetrate every 

 filament. Hemp or linen yarns are likewise employed in this manufacture, as a woof, 

 to bind the warp firmly together after each shoot of the velvety threads. Thus we see 

 that good carpeting consists essentially of two distinct webs woven at the same time, 

 and firmly decussated together by the woof threads. Hence the form of the pattern 

 is the same upon the two sides of the cloth, only the colours are reversed, so that what 

 was green upon one side becomes red or black \ipon the other, and vice versa. The 

 smaller the figures the more frequent the decussation of the two planes, and the firmer 

 and more durable the fabric. 



The carpet manufacture, as now generally practised, may be distributed into two 

 systems that of double fabrics, and that cut in imitation of velvet. Of late years 

 the Jacquard loom has been much used in weaving carpets, the nature of which will 

 be found fully explained under that title. 



For the sake of illustration, if we suppose the double carpets to be composed of 

 only two colours, the principle of weaving will be easily understood ; for it is only 

 necessary to raise the warp of each web alternately for the passage of the shuttle, the 

 upper web being entirely above when the under web is being woven, or decussated, 

 and vice versa. In the Brussels carpet the worsted yarn raised to form the pile, and 

 make the figure, is not cut ; in the Wilton the pile is cut to give it a velvety aspect 

 and softness. In the imperial Brussels carpet the figure is raised above the ground, 

 and its pile is cut, but the ground is uncut ; and in the royal Wilton the pile is both 

 raised higher than in the common Wilton, and it is cut, whereby it has a rich cushion- 

 like appearance. The cloth of all these superior carpets consists of woollen and 



