VARNISH VERSUS PAINT. .371 



if the wood were unpainted or unvarnished, no matter 

 how well it might be prepared, or how beautiful the 

 grain might be, or how choice the specimens of wood 

 employed, a carriage built after such a fashion would 

 not be tolerated for a moment. An endeavour was 

 once made to varnish and not to paint the hulls of 

 yachts ; the IVitc/icrafi belonging to Mr. Broadwood, 

 the great piano manufacturer, was a striking instance 

 of this innovation. I remember the outer skin of the 

 vessel above water was built of mahogany, which, 

 when newly varnished, looked very well, but did not 

 retain its brilliant appearance long, and was afterwards 

 painted ; but this was no doubt owing to exposure to 

 weather, salt water, and boats constantly scraping 

 against the side. I remember the vessel was nick- 

 named the "Musical box." The same objections that 

 applied to the yacht cannot apply to carriages. 

 Carriages are carefully housed, and receive an amount 

 of attention which it is impossible can be devoted to 

 the outer surface of a yacht or a boat. In the use of 

 mahogany, there is a difference between the cabinet- 

 maker and the coach-builder ; the former prefers 

 Spanish mahogany on account of the beautiful curled 

 grain, which gives such diversity of light and shade, 

 whereas the latter employs Honduras mahogany, 

 because the curled grains of the Spanish prevent it 

 from being bent into the curvatures required in coach- 

 making. Honduras wood can be procured in planks 

 four feet in width, perfectly straight-grained, and free 

 from all knots and blemishes, and is therefore a kind 

 of timber well suited for bending, and therefore well 

 adapted to coach-building. Cedar of considerable 

 width and having a coarse grain is sometimes 

 used instead of mahogany for carriage panels, but 



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