395 



SECTION X. 



Note I. Page 249. 



** Shows," as the refuse of a flaxmill is usually called, in this part of 

 the kingdom, when freed of dust and other impurities, form an excellent 

 thatch for houses, the peculiar qualities of which I shall mention here, 

 for the benefit of those who may not have experienced their utility for 

 that object. 



Five-and-twenty years since, when no value was put on this useful 

 article, it was generally thrown into the river or stream, on which the 

 flaxmill was situated, and carried away by the next flood. Observing 

 that when shows abounded, the people about the mill used to throw them 

 on the roofs of the sheds, where they seemed completely to turn the rain, 

 I believe I was the first, or among the first, who thought of applying them 

 to the roofs of cottages. Accordingly, expert persons were here set to 

 work to draw and bundle them up, like straw used for thatch ; and the 

 shows were put on, about twelve inches thick, either by sewing them with 

 marline, or otherwise, by superinducing them on a thin coat of fresh turf, 

 as is often done with straw in Scotland. About the same time, likewise, 

 was contrived a wooden tool, of about fourteen inches long, but of the 

 rudest sort, named a comb, for smoothing the thatch, after being fixed 

 on, and properly laid with the hand, which soon brought it to a fiiie 

 surface. 



This covering was, of course, white, and when first put on, extremely 

 beautiful : and although it might be supposed inflammable in its nature, 

 and therefore hazardous on account of fire, yet it turned out on trial, to 

 be quite otherwise : we found, as the shows lost their light colour, and 

 became brown by the weather, they obtained a skin so hard and smooth, 

 as equally to resist wet and drought. Even Uve coals might be thrown 

 upon it without danger. In so far, then, this covering has been found su- 

 perior to straw, while in point of durability, it greatly exceeds the latter. 

 From any information that can be obtained from the flaxdressers, respect- 

 ing the roofs of their sheds, it appears, that they will turn rain iox forty 

 years or more. Of that length of duration, however, I can say nothing, 



