126 PETROLEUM: PARTI. 



into muslin and printed calico, yet as already mentioned 

 that was sufficient to envelope the earth's equator nine- 

 teen times, and twenty-seven millions of pieces were ex- 

 ported annually. Atmospheric electricity and ozone affect 

 the process of dyeing, and east wind has a retarding and 

 injurious effect. The Lyons manufacturers, not less 

 celebrated for their scientific skill and taste than for 

 the brilliancy of the colours, have an advantage in their 

 fine climate and bright sun. 



It is a singular circumstance that petroleum has 

 existed in enormous quantities throughout the North 

 American States and a great part of Canada, unnoticed 

 and neglected till the year 1859, when its value was 

 discovered, and it almost immediately formed a new and 

 extensive branch of commerce, for during the succeeding 

 year at least 1,000 wells were dug, some of which 

 enriched the proprietors ; others were a failure. 



Petroleum from the fountains of Is, on the banks of 

 the Euphrates about 120 miles from Babylon, furnished 

 the asphaltic mortar for building Mneveh 2,000 years 

 before the Christian era. There are many sources of 

 naphtha, petroleum, and asphalt in Europe and Asia, 

 which like those in Trinidad and Venezuela occur for 

 the most part in rocks of the newer, secondary and 

 tertiary formations, though sometim.es in the lower. 

 But in the northern part of the United States and 

 Canada these substances occur in rocks of all ages from 

 the lower silurian to the tertiary period inclusive ; they 

 are usually found in the limestones and more rarely in 

 the sandstones and shales. Petroleum collects in the 

 fissures of the rocks, chiefly in those that have a ten- 

 dency downwards ; in wells dug for it near one an- 

 other, an abundant supply is furnished at all depths 

 from 70 to 300 feet. In some parts of Ohio and Canada 

 the ground is saturated with petroleum, so that it is 

 believed there is enough in North America to supply 



