238 METAL LEAF 



worsted, and he certainly succeeded well in his object. Many other sheep-breeders in 

 the kingdom also devoted much attention, with great success, to the breeding of 

 merino sheep, so that at this period (1826) large quantities of such wool were pro- 

 duced in the country. 



Contemporaneous with these efforts made in England, the propagation of the 

 merino sheep, which had been obtained from Spain, was carried on to a great extent 

 in Saxony, where the ruling monarch, like our own, took much interest in the enter- 

 prise. The government of Saxony was amply rewarded for the pains which had been 

 taken to spread the breeds so as to become a portion of the public wealth. Hence 

 from this source arose the large supply which enabled Saxony to send to this coun- 

 try large quantities of wool, chiefly for the making of fine woollen cloth, as it, on the 

 whole, ranged in staple shorter than English or Spanish merino. Nor were the 

 French idle in availing themselves of the excellent properties t>f the Spanish sheep by 

 transplanting them to their soil, and manufacturing from the wool fine stuffs to 

 which they gave the name of merinoes. 



From the merino wool produced in France and Germany were manufactured fine 

 descriptions of stuffs named after the sheep. A Bradford spinner in 1826, being de- 

 sirous of extending his export trade in Germany, instituted inquiries respecting the stuffs 

 made there, and received in answer the following information : No worsted yarn 

 of any amount was made on the Continent, except by hand. As the laws prohibiting 

 the exportation of English machinery still remained in force, the continental nations 

 could not obtain our improved frames, and either their handicraftsmen were unable 

 to construct thorn with sufficient skill, or their capitalists were disinclined to embark 

 in the enterprise. Much yarn was spun by hand in the neighbourhood of Hamburgh. 

 Then, as to the weaving of stuffs, a few merinoes were made at Leipzig, and some of 

 them from English yarn spun to No. 46. At Waldenberg, Eisenach, and Langensulza, 

 Berlin, Altona, and Erfurt, merinoes were made. For some of these English yarn 

 was used, but the German manufacturers preferred, most likely for its durability, 

 their own yarn. Whilst the French and Germans were weaving merino pieces, a 

 fabric bearing the same name, but widely differing in structure, arose in the English 

 market, and imparted a most beneficial impulse to the stuff trade of the West 

 Biding. 



A brief narration of the origin of English merinoes will at this point, find an ap- 

 propriate place. The wearing of worsted stuffs, after many changes of fashion, had 

 again become very common amongst people of every degree in England. But it was 

 perceived as the taste for fabrics of fine texture increased, that plainbacks and other 

 worsted articles of that kind were not sufficiently delicate in structure for the higher 

 'classes. This idea having been mentioned by one of the partners in the house of 

 Messrs. Todd, Morrison, and Co., warehousemen, London, to Messrs. Mann of Brad- 

 ford, merchants, the latter began to reflect on the best method of supplying the void. 

 It occurred to them that a plainback made with the finest yarn, and spun from merino 

 and other fine wools, would answer the object. 



Accordingly they employed Messrs. Garnett of Bradford to spin yarn and manu- 

 facture such a stuff, who accomplished the task to the full satisfaction of their 

 employers. Some beautiful pieces were the result ; three-quarters wide, made from 40's 

 to 52's weft, and 32's to 34's warp ; in every respect they resembled Cashmere, except in 

 being finer. From the period of their introduction, these stuffs pleased the public 

 taste, and were rapidly sold at high prices. They were originally sold at from 75s. 

 to 80s. the piece ; but when the article became known, many manufacturers entered 

 into competition, and making lower sorts, reduced the pi-ices from 40s. to 60s. the 

 piece according to qualities. 



About a year after the full introduction of the three-quarters merino into the 

 market, it was found that, owing to the narrowness of the piece, it did -not cut up con- 

 veniently or economically for dresses ; and the six-quarter variety of merino was 

 brought into the market, where it for many years had a large demand, bringing as 

 much in some instances as 120s. a piece. 



MESSENGER. A hawser, or small cable, about sixty fathoms long, wound 

 round the capstan, and having its two ends lashed together. See CABLE. 



AXETACHrarABAR. An amorphous dark-coloured sulphide of mercury found 

 in California. 



IttETAIi. This term is sometimes applied by smelters to a regulus, or fixed sul- 

 phide, such as the ' coarse metal ' and ' blister metal ' of the copper-smelter. The 

 molten glass is spoken of in glass-works as ' metal.' 



lYXETAXi liE AF. A name commonly applied to the Dutch leaf to distinguish it 

 from gold-leaf. There was of metal leaf not gold imported in 1868-72 : 



