10 JUNIPER 



Elizabeth, when it seems to have ceased suddenly, and was not resumed till the year 

 1800, when Kobert Jefferson, a painter, and John Carter made beads and crosses with 

 files and knives : a neck guard, made in this manner, fetched one guinea. A stranger 

 coming to Whitby saw them working in this rude way, and advised them to try to turn 

 it ; they followed his advice and found it answer ; several more then joined them, and 

 the trade has been gradually increasing since. 



In 1860 the jet-trade of Whitby realised about 45,000?. ; but since that time it has 

 doubled itself. In 1870 the value amounted to 84.000/. ; in 1871 to 86.000J. ; in 

 1872 to 88,000^. ; and in 1873 it probably exceeded 90,000?. 



Two kinds of jet occur at Whitby the hard and the soft. The hard jet, which alone 

 is now worked, is found in layers of varying extent and thickness ; the largest known 

 specimen having measured 6 feet 4 inches in length, about 5 inches in width, and 1 J 

 inch in thickness ; it weighed 11% Ibs. Formerly, the hard jet was worked in the cliffs 

 by a dangerous process called ' dessing ' ; but the cliff-workings are now almost entirely 

 abandoned, and most of the jet is obtained from mines in the Cleveland hills, the 

 most extensive workings being those of Bilsdale, near Broughton. About 20 mines 

 are at present open, giving employment to about 200 miners. Eough hard jet varies 

 in value from 4s. to 21s. per Ib. ; but the soft jet realises only 5s. 6d. to 30s. per 

 stone, and it is now rarely worked at Whitby, since Spanish jet can be imported at the 

 same price. The Spanish does not stand wear so well as the Whitby jet, nor does it bear 

 exposure to the weather. The two kinds may be distinguished by scratching them 

 with a knife, tho Spanish giving a very irregular scratch, whilst the Whitby gives a 

 fine groove. 



In working jet, the first operation is to remove the skin, or outer surface, which is 

 chipped off with an iron chisel ; the denuded pieces are then sawn up into sizes 

 adapted for the required articles, and are worked into form by carving and turning ; 

 finally, the objects are polished with rouge on a board covered with hide, by which 

 means a fine velvety lustre is obtained. There are at present upwards of 200 work- 

 shops in Whitby, the largest being that of Mr. Charles Bryan, which gives employ- 

 ment to about 120 hands. Most of the jet ornaments are sent to London ; the inferior 

 ones are mostly purchased for the American market. A trade is also carried on with 

 the Continent and with most of our colonies. 



The jet workers complain of the great scarcity of designs in jet. Several designs 

 have been sent them ; but the artists not being acquainted with the peculiarities of 

 the material, their designs are not generally applicable, and the manufacturer is much 

 more successful in the imitation of natural objects than any artificial combination. 



For recent information on jet, we are indebted to a paper on Whitby Jet and its 

 Manufacture, by Mr. J. A. Bower, F.C.S., ' Journal of the Society of Arts,' December 

 19, 1873. 



JETSAM. Goods cast into the sea from a ship in stress of weather ; flotsam being 

 the portion of a ship and cargo which remains floating upon the waters ; and lagan, or 

 ligan-goods, being merchandise which is cast overboard, and sunk with a buoy attached, 

 so that they may be possibly discovered. 



JEWELLER'S GOLD. Usually an alloy of about 25 per cent, of copper with 

 75 of gold. See ALLOY. 



JEWELLER'S ROUGE. A carefully-prepared peroxide of iron, used for 

 polishing. 



JEWELLERY. See BIJOTJTBY; GEM; and LAPIDARY. 



JEWS PITCH. A fine variety of asphalt from the Dead Sea. See ASPHAIT. 



JIGGING, a mining term. Separating the ore with a griddle, or wire-bottomed 

 sieve, the heavier substances passing through to the bottom or lower part of the sieve, 

 the lighter substance remaining on the upper part. 



JINTA WAN. A substance somewhat resembling caoutchouc, imported from 

 India. See CAOTJTCHOTJC. 



JOHANNITE. Uranium-vitriol, or hydrous sulphate of uranium and copper, 

 found at Joachimstahl in Bohemia, and Johanngeorgenstadt in Saxony. 



JUJUBE. The fruit of the Lizypkus vulgaris and L. jujuba, about the size of, 

 und nearly resembling, a small plum. The French confectioners prepare a lozenge 

 from the juice of the fruit, but nearly all tho jujubes sold by our druggists and con- 

 fectioners are merely dried mucilage, flavoured and sweetened. 



JUMPER, a mining term. A large borer, steeled at each end like chisel bits. It 

 is worked by the band. . 



JUNIPER. A genus of plants belonging to the order Conifera. About twenty 

 species are known. This plant is cultivated mostly for its berries, which, when dis- 

 tilled with water, yield a volatile essential oil. The berries are largely employed in 

 the manufacture of Hollands and gin. The French name of the plant is Gcnievre, and 

 hence our English words ' gin ' and ' geneva.' 



