ROPE-MAKING. 



not always be purfued, it frequently happens that whole or 

 half hawls of yarn are obliged to be warped in half bites 

 of an odd number. 



The following rules and regulations refpe&ing the warp- 

 ing of yarn mult be particularly attended to. 



In a h awl of yarn containing three hundred and thirty- 

 fix threads, there (hould be warped as under-mentioned. 



In a hawl of yarn containing four hundred threads, 

 there (hould be warped as under-mentioned. 



When the yarn is warped in half hawls, it is to be care- 

 fully obferved that only half the number of yarns, or threads, 

 above-mentioned, are to be warped, and care fhould be 

 taken to warp the number of threads as near as poffible. 



It requires three men to warp a hawl of yarn, who are 

 employed as follows : viz. two men to warp (or draw the 

 yarns to their proper dillance), and one man to fet up (that 

 is, to tighten the yarns, and bring each yarn to its proper 

 bearing) : each man is allowed twelve threads (or two 

 quarters of a day's work) for his labour. 



To take the hawl of yarn up after it is warped, and carry 

 the fame into the tar-houfe, requires ten men, who are each 

 paid one thread (to's. one penny) for their labour. 



The fourth procefs to be attended to in the manufacturing 

 of cordage, is Tarring the Tarn. 



Tarring the yarn is a procefs which (hould be particularly 

 attended to, being extremely careful that the tar is not 

 boiling too fait nor too flow ; if too fait, the tar will not (tay 

 in the yarn, if not hot enough, the tar will not fufficiently 

 penetrate the yarn ; therefore a ftridt medium mult be care- 

 fully obferved by the kettle -heater, as well as to keep the 

 horfe, or men, which turn the capltan round, going at a 

 gentle, iteady pace, thereby giving the yarn a proper time 

 to imbibe its neceffary proportion of tar, but at the fame 

 time not fuffering it to be kept in the boiling tar too long, 

 which is apt to make the yarn very tender, therefore (hould 

 be very carefully avoided ; and fhould the capitan be flopped 

 by accident, the flop that keeps the yarn down mud be in- 

 ftantly railed, and the yarn taken out. Particular attention 



9 



(hould alfo be paid in paying (or coiling) the yarn into the 

 kettle, that too long a length be not payed in at once ; if it 

 is fo done, the yarn will, of courfe, touch the bottom of 

 the kettle, which it fhould, by no means, be fuffered to do, 

 as in fuch cafe it will imbibe the dregs and fettlements of the 

 tar appertaining to the bottom of the kettle, and make the 

 yarn in fuch places black, or very much dilccloured, and 

 have a very unpleaiing appearance iij the rope when made. 

 Yarn for cables requires more tar than for hawfer-laid ropes. 

 For Handing and running rigging the lets tar the better, 

 provided the thread is well covered. It fhould be always 

 remembered that the yarn, when tarred, fhould be overlet 

 (or removed) the fame day, as this piece of butinels, being 

 omitted, will be likely to prove of a ferious confequence in 

 heating and tendering the yarn, which at all times mult be 

 carefully avoided. In overfetting the yarn it (hould always 

 be remembered that the yarn be well (hook and opened for 

 two or three days, as in fo doihg it admits the air, feparates 

 and hardens the yarns, and contributes very much to the 

 ilrength of the cordage. The hawls or half hawls of yarn, 

 when tarred, fhould always be weighed and tallied. 



Tarring yarn requires three men, who are employed as 

 follows: vix. one to heat the kettle, one to pay (or coil) 

 the yarn in the kettle, and one to haul off and overfet the 

 varn. They are, in general, paid in proportion to the work 

 the fpinners perform, which is called going by the wheel. 



The fifth and latt procefs to be attended to, is Laying the 

 Cordage. 



In laying cables, and all forts of ropes in general, the 

 great art lies in making each yarn to bear alike. For this pur- 

 pofe it was, particularly in the larger fined cables, that the 

 patent machines have been introduced. Particular atten- 

 tion muft be paid to this point, as therein confilts the grand 

 principle of making a ftrong rope. For all forts of ropes 

 which are to be immerged in the water, the utmofl care 

 muft be taken to give the ilrands their proper hardnefs in 

 their firft procefs, according to the remarks laid down be- 

 fore, which will prevent the water from penetrating the 

 flrands, and thereby preferve the infide yarns of the cable ; 

 as, if this procefs is not regularly attended to, the infide yarns 

 will be always wet, and very foon decay. It frequently hap- 

 pens that when the yarn is tarred fomewhat too deep, that 

 many a cable is fpoiled, though not intentionally ; the fear in 

 the perfon who has the direction in making the cable, of 

 turning a very dark coloured rope out of hand, prevents 

 the regular make being given the cordage, as in prefling the 

 yarn to their proper hardnefs, the tar will fpring oat, very 

 much difcolour the rope, and thereby give it a very un- 

 pleaiing appearance, efpeeially when the fun is fhining very 

 hot upon the yarn ; to prevent which, in a great meafure, care 

 fhould be taken, in the fummer months, to lay cables, and 

 all forts of cordage in general, either early in the morning, 

 before the fun has much power on the yarn, which is alfo 

 apt to tender it, or late in the evening, after the fun has fet, 

 or gone off the ground, or in heavy weather (by no means 

 rainy) ; in which cafe your cordage will have a bright 

 pleafing appearance, as the fmall fibres of the hemp will all 

 yield to the top, and lay fmooth, which otherwife would look 

 rough, and appear as if the cordage was made of inferior 

 hemp, though in fact it was not fo, as all forts of hemp 

 have fmall fibres appertaining to them, and which it is part 

 the art of man to prevent the fun from drawing up, and there- 

 by making the rope look rough andunleemly. 



N. B. The above remarks refpe&ing taking advantage of 

 the time for laying the cordage are only to be obferved in un- 

 covered grounds. 



In 



