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of European fugitive dyes and crude colours, and another that 

 they could be made to utilise that in which their country 

 has ever been so rich, the remarkable variety of native- 

 grown dyestuffs which in other than wild silk fabrics they 

 have known probably for thousands of years so well how to 

 use. To take dyestuffs to India must surely be carrying 

 coals to Newcastle. I have since received, an extensive 

 and most interesting series of India dyestuffs and tanning 

 materials, which I have at present under examination. 

 Some of these native dyestuffs, with proper mordants, give 

 much more permanent colours than the fugitive aniline dyes 

 the use of which for artistic purposes and for goods intended 

 to last a long time cannot be too seriously lamented. They 

 are suitable only for dyes intended for short use. My 

 examination already promises well. I have succeeded in 

 applying several dyes to Tusser silk which seem to possess 

 the desirable merit of permanence, and no doubt others 

 will also impart colours to the silk with satisfactory results 

 when I have found suitable mordants for them. I also 

 received a quantity of Tusser cocoons, and, not being able 

 to have them reeled in England, I was authorised to go to 

 Italy to see if I could have them reeled there, and effect 

 my hope for improvement in the manufacture. By the 

 introduction of a friend, I obtained permission to visit one 

 of the filatures in Piedmont, at St. Cio, near Torre Pellice. 

 On arriving there I found an extensive mulberry-silk 

 reeling and throwing establishment, situated in a most 

 beautiful valley, in one of the southern spurs of the Alps, 

 about three hours' journey north of Turin. 



On explaining my mission, and showing the wild cocoons, 

 I was told there was not much prospect of success, for 

 several trials had been made, and they had been found 

 difficult to soften and impracticable to work ; but knowing 

 too well how natural is the tendency to look at objections 

 rather than at the means when any new idea presents 

 itself, and feeling too that the difficulties might be resolved, 

 I asked to be allowed to try myself. The permission being 

 generously granted, and every assistance kindly afforded me, 

 I was taken to the reeling room, where about 100 young 

 women were at work, with well-trained fingers, reeling 

 the small Piedmont cocoons of Bombyx rnori. The opera- 

 tion was interesting in the extreme, heightened as it was 

 by their strange singing of old French songs, in a dialect 

 not even understood by the Italians, a strange and all but 

 forgotten tongue, which has to be learned by the mill- 

 overlookers before they can communicate their instructions 



