CANDLE, 



monly of several threads of cotton, spun 

 and twisted together. 



There are two sorts of tallow-candles ; 

 the one dipped, the other moulded : the 

 former are the common candles. 



Tallow candles should be made of equal 

 parts of bullock's and sheep's fat. The 

 cotton made use of in the manufacture of 

 candles comes from Turkey. This is first 

 wound into rather a line thread, which is 

 cut into proper lengths, and five, six, or 

 more united, so as to make it of a fit size 

 for the candle required. The machine 

 for cutting the cotton is a smooth board, 

 fastened on the knees, and the upper 

 surface is the blade of a razor, and a 

 round piece of cane, placed at a certain 

 distance from one another, according to 

 the length of the cotton wanted. The 

 cotton is carried round the cane, and be- 

 ing brought to the razor, is instantly 

 separated from the balls. The cotton is 

 then made smooth by pulling, and 

 spread at equal distances, on rods about 

 half an inch in diameter, called broaches. 

 The tallow is melted, and after it is well 

 skimmed, it is brought to the mould, in 

 which the cottons are dipped. The work- 

 man holds three of these broaches be- 

 tween his fingers, and immerses the cot- 

 tons into the melted tallow; these he after- 

 wards hangs up tiH they become cold and 

 hard, during which others are dipped. 

 When cold, they are dipped a second and 

 * third time, and so on till the candles are 

 of the proper size. During the operation 

 the tallow is kept to a proper tempera- 

 ture, by means of a small charcoal fire. An 

 invention of modern date has taken off 

 much of the labour of the tallow-chandler: 

 this consists of abeam with fixed pullies, 

 round which ropes are made to pass, and 

 on one end of the ropes can be suspend- 

 ed six or more broaches, the weight of 

 which is balanced by weights in an op- 

 posing scale, and which may be increased, 

 as the candles become larger. The work- 

 man by this means has only to guide the 

 candles, and notto support them between 

 his fingers. Mould candles are so called, 

 from their being run or cast in moulds 

 made of pewter. In these the cotton is 

 intruded by means of a wire, and kept 

 in a perpendicular position till the tallow 

 is poured in, and when cold the candles 

 are easily drawn out. 



Wax candles are made of a cotton or 

 flaxen wick, slightly twisted, and covered 

 with white or yellow wax. Of these, there 

 are several kinds ; some of a conical fi- 

 gure, used to illumine churches, and in 

 processions, funeral ceremonies, &c. 



Others of a cylindrical form, used on or- 

 dinary occasions. The first are either 

 made with a ladle or the hand. To make 

 wax candles with the ladle: the wicks 

 being prepared, a dozen of them are tied 

 by the neck, at equal distances, round an 

 iron circle, suspended directly over a 

 large basin of copper tinned, and full of 

 melted wax: a large ladle full of this 

 wax is poured gently on the tops of the 

 wicks, one after another, and this opera- 

 tion continued till the candle arrive at its 

 destined bigness ; with this precaution, 

 that the three first ladles be poured on 

 at the top of the wick; the fourth at the 

 height of three-fourths ; the fifth at one- 

 half; and the sixth at one-fourth ; in or- 

 der to give the candle its pyramidal 

 form. Then the candles are taken down, 

 kept warm, and rolled and smoothed 

 upon a walnut-tree table, with a long 

 square instrument of box, smooth at the 

 bottom. 



As to the manner of making wax-can- 

 dles by the hand, they begin to soften the 

 wax, by working it several times in hot 

 water, contained in a narrow, but deep, 

 caldron. A piece of the wax is then ta- 

 ken out, and disposed, by little and little, 

 around the wick, which is hung on a 

 hook in the wall, by the extremity oppo- 

 'site to the neck; so that they begin with 

 the big end, diminishing still as they de- 

 scend towards the neck. In other re- 

 spects, the method is nearly the same as 

 in the former case. However, it must be 

 observed, that in the former ca^e, water 

 is always used to moisten the several in- 

 struments, to prevent the wax from 

 sticking ; and in the latter, oil of olives, 

 or lard, for the hands, &c. The cylin- 

 drical wax candles are either made, as 

 the former, with a ladle, or drawn. Wax- 

 candles drawn, are so called, because ac- 

 tually drawn in the manner of wire, by 

 means of two large rollers of wood, turn- 

 ed by a handle, which, turning backwards 

 and forwards several times, pass the 

 wick through melted wax contained in a 

 brass basin, and at the same time through 

 the holes of an instrument like that used 

 for drawing wire fastened at one side of 

 the basin. 



CANDLES, safe or auction by inch of, 

 is when a small piece of candle being 

 lighted, the bystanders are allowed to 

 bid for the merchandize that is selling ; 

 but the moment the candle is out, the 

 commodity is adjudged to the last bid- 

 der. 



CANDLE berry-tree, in botany. See Mr 



RICA. 



