CORK. 



217 



Cork. sides flattening the pieces of bark, this operation closes 

 ""Y""™'' up the pores of the cork, by occasioning it to contract, 

 and greatly lessens its sponginess and open texture, 

 which would otherwise render it a filter, especially in 

 what are called taps and bungs, which are cut perpen- 

 dicularly to tlte natural surfaces. After the operation 

 of burning, the cork is built up into stacks, till purcha- 

 sed by the merchants or their agents for exportation. 



The principal use of cork in the present day is for 

 making stoppers to bottles that are to contain liquids 

 which are not of a corrosive nature; for which purpose 

 it serves admirably, as it is easily compressed by pres- 

 sure, expands readily by its elasticity, fills and stops 

 very closely the space into which it has been forced, 

 does not communicate any disagreeable taste or flavour 

 to the liquors which it retains, and does not allow any 

 watery or vinous liquor to escape. This substance is 

 also used as taps and bungs for casks, is made into inner 

 soles for shoes, floats for fishing nets, artificial legs and 

 arms for those who have suffered amputation, and a 

 variety of other useful articles. It is also used in the 

 construction of Mr Greathead's boat, for preserving the 

 lives of seamen in danger of perishing by shipwreck, — 

 a late admirable invention, for a particular account of 

 which see Life-boat. Owing to its elasticity, it is 

 also used for many other useful purposes, such as the 

 spring of the lifter in ordinary candlesticks, and has 

 been recommended as a good substitute for weights 

 and pulleys for holding up light window-sashes. Cork 

 is also used in Spain and Portugal for lining stone- walls 

 in particular places, rendering the apartments very 

 warm and dry; and is also employed for lining the 

 sides of ships of war, to prevent splinters in time of ac- 

 tion. Besides these uses of cork, it is made into what 

 are called cork jackets, for preserving the lives of per- 

 sons in danger of drowning. For this purpose, pieces 

 of cork, about tln-ee inches long and two wide, and 

 the entire thickness of the bark, are inclosed between 

 two pieces of strong linen or canvas, made in form 

 of a jacket without sleeves, and sewed round each 

 piece to keep them all in their proper places, the 

 lower edge of the jacket, about the hips, being left in 

 loose flaps, like the under part of stays, to leave free- 

 dom to the thighs in swimming. 



This substance, as imported, is seldom sufficiently 

 flattened or dried for being used by our cork- cutters, 

 who accordingly have to render the process of laying, 

 or Iptrning rather, more complete, by roasting it again 

 over a fire, which is generally made of cork shavings or 

 cuttings, under a sparred iron frame standing on four 

 legs of convenient height. In this new operation, the 

 convex side of the slips are laid next the flame, when 

 the heat counteracts the natural bend, and reduces the 

 cork to sufficient flatness, while at the same time it ren- 

 ders the substance more compact, and sufficiently dry 

 to admit of being easily and accurately cut. It is after- 

 wards cut into narrow or wide slips, according to the 

 particular purposes for which it is to be applied, as 

 corks, bungs or taps, and these slips are afterwards cut 

 into squares, proportional to the uses they are intended 

 for. The squares intended for corks, are sorted into 

 three denominations, short, short-long, and full-long ; 

 and, as the bark is not of the same quality throughout 

 each piece, the finished corks are finally sorted by a boy 

 into four kinds, superfine or velvets, fine, common, and 

 sparse, and are sold at proportional prices. The only 

 tool used by the cork-cutter in forming the corks, is a 

 broad, thin, and sharp-edged knife, with which he 



VOL. VII. PART 1. 



Cork. 



adroitly pares the squares into cylinders, or rather 

 slightly tapering frustums of cones, after which he 

 pares off the top and bottom quite level, and throws the 

 finished cork into boxes or baskets for receiving corks 

 of the same length. The parings are saved, to be af- 

 terwards sold to colour-makers, for being charred into 

 what is called Spanish black. 



Some other productions of the vegetable kingdom 

 have also been occasionally used for similar purposes, 

 as possessing properties similar to those of cork ; such 

 as the exterior bark of the Spoudias lutea, Mombin, or 

 Jamaica plum, which is sometimes brought over as a 

 substitute for cork. The bark also of a North Ameri- 

 can tree called Myssa, has been applied to similar pur- 

 poses. Liquorice roots are sometimes also used in the 

 same manner. 



Cork was certainly known to the Greeks, under the 

 name of OeAAoj, and Theophrastus describes the tree as 

 a species of oak having a thick fleshy bark, that requires 

 to be stripped off once in three years, to prevent it from 

 perishing. He mentions also its great levity, so as ne- 

 ver to sink in water, from which quality it might be ap- 

 plied to a variety of useful purposes. The Suber also of 

 the Romans was evidently the same substance with our 

 cork, as Pliny describes it in the same terms used by 

 Theophrastus respecting q>ixxl ? . It was applied by the 

 Romans to many useful purposes ; particularly as floats 

 for nets, and as buoys for anchors, under the name of 

 anchoralia. They also employed it for soles to their 

 shoes or sandals, to keep their feet dry, and for making 

 their ladies appear taller. Pliny also mentions its use 

 for stopping vessels of all kinds ; but its more universal 

 employment for bottles is entirely of modern invention, 

 as glass bottles do not appear to have been introduced, 

 at least into general use, before the fifteenth century. 

 The ancient Egyptians also employed cork in the con- 

 struction of coffins, which were coated within with a 

 resinous substance. The use of cork, for enabling per- 

 sons to swim, and to preserve from drowning, was very 

 early known to the Romans ; as the messenger sent by 

 Camillus to the capital, when besieged by the Gauls, 

 took cork with him under his light garments, to en- 

 able him to swim across the Tiber with safety. 



The hark and acorn of the cork tree, charred and re- 

 duced to fine powder, have both been considered as 

 astringents, externally applied, but are probably mere 

 inert charcoal. Cups made of cork have even been re- 

 commended for the use of hectic persons. The chemi- 

 cal properties of cork have been already treated under 

 the article Chemistry, (w. k.) 



CORK, a county of Ireland, situated in the province 

 of Munster. It is bounded by the county of Water- Bounda- 

 ford on the east ; that of Kerry on the west ; those of ries. 

 Limerick and Tipperary on the north ; and by the At- 

 lantic Ocean on the south. Both in extent and popu- 

 lation it is by far the largest in the island, containing 

 in these respects, according to Dr Beaufort, about a 

 tenth part of the whole 



This county affords great abundanceand variety of see- Scenery. 

 nery. With an extensive range of bold and rugged sea- 



coast — some large rivers, and many smaller streams 



mountains and hillsof various height and aspect — planta- 

 tions of thriving wood — corn fields, and walks of sheep 

 and cattle— towns, villages, and hamlets— and a multi- 

 tude of family seats, belonging to noblemen and gentle- 

 men of fortune— it offers to the traveller's eye every diver- 

 sity of grand and beautiful, of rich and barren, prospect. 

 Indeed, some parts of it, particularly Glengariff, in the 

 2 E 



