UNCLE IN ENGLAND." 83 



woof home every time the shuttle carries it 

 across ; all these appeared very simple, while 

 looking at the operation, but I am afraid that I 

 should give but a very lame account of them. 

 Still less can I attempt to describe a power-loom 

 which has been just set up ; it seems to do every 

 thing without the interference of the weaver the 

 heddles rise and fall, the batten strikes in regular 

 time and with equal force, and the shuttle flies 

 to and fro from selvage to selvage as if it was 

 alive. 



At another loom they were taking off the cloth 

 from the beam on which it had been rolled in the 

 process of weaving, and many hands were im- 

 mediately employed with iron nippers in trim- 

 ming and cutting off the knots and threads. The 

 obliging proprietor of the manufactory partly de- 

 scribed and partly shewed us the subsequent 

 operations of scouring the cloth with potter's 

 clay, steeping and fulling it, and then stretching 

 it lengthwise to take out the wrinkles. This is 

 repeated several times, then it is washed in clear 

 water, and given wet to other workmen to raise 

 the nap, by means of a flower called teasel, which 

 somewhat resembles a thistle. When the nap is 

 well raised on the right side, it is given to the 

 shearers, and then to the dyer ; and when dyed 

 it is again washed in plain water, and spread on 

 a table, where the nap is laid properly with a 

 brush. It is then hung up to dry, and stretched 



