SILK. 



Ill which .-. ' • the weaver takes it, and mounts it in his 

 loom. 



For the fubfequent operations of weaving we ftiall refer 

 to the article Weaving, becaufe the weaving of filk 

 goods is the fame as for any other, except that finer and 

 more beautiful articles are produced in this fublfance than 

 in any other. Some information on the details of weaving 

 mechanifm will be found under our articles Dkal'GHT of 

 Looms, Draw-Z,(3oot, Diaper, Dimity, and Dornock ; 

 and though thefe are rather the weaving of hnen and cotton 

 than filk, the fame principles apply to filk, as will be more 

 fully explained under Weaving ; where a defcription of 

 weaving ribbands and figured filks will be given. 



Silk is dillinguifiicd by different names according to its 

 different ftates. Thus, 



Silk, Spun, is that taken from the ball, without fire, and 

 fpun into thread without any coftion : fnch as is mod, if not 

 all, that is brought into England from the Levant ; i. e. from 

 Perfia by the way of Turkey, from Bengal in India, and from 

 China. The raw fpun filk is commonly worked up into two 

 forts, called organize and tram : the former is made by 

 giving a throw or t wift to each thread of raw fpun filk fingly, 

 and then doubling two of thefe twifted threads together, 

 and twifting them fmartly together ; this forms the warp 

 or length of a piece when mauufaftured. The tram, or 

 flioot, which makes the breadth of the piece, is formed by 

 twifting two ormore threads of raw filk flack. The wafte raw 

 filk, or refufe in reeling, &c. is coUeded, carded, and fpun, 

 and called_y?o/} filk ; this is doubled and thrown, and often 

 made into a cheap fort of filk-ftockings, which are very 

 ftrong and durable. 



In the French filk-works, the greateft part of this raw 

 filk pades for httle better than a kind of fine floretta ; yet, 

 when fpun, it makes a bright thread, and ferves for the 

 manufafture of ftuffs of moderate value and luftre. But the 

 fpun filks of the Levant, whence moll of our's come, are ex- 

 ceedingly fine and beautiful. The difference arifes hence,' 

 that in France, the bed balls are reeled off in boiling 

 water, and only the refufe made into fpun filk ; whereas, in 

 the Levant, there is no fuch thing as reeling or winding on 

 the fire, but the filks are all fent in bales, or packs, as they 

 are drawn from off the balls ; fa that they are only dif- 

 tinguifhed by their quality of fine, middhng, and coarfe. 



Silk, Boiled, is that which has been boiled in water, to 

 facilitate the fpinnmg and winding. This is the fineft of all 

 the forts of filk manufaftured in France, and is feldom 

 ufed but in the richeft Huffs ; as velvets, taffeties, damaflcs, 

 brocades, &c. 



There is alfo another kind of boiled filk, which is prepared 

 by boiling, to be milled ; and which cannot receive that 

 preparation, without being firft palled through hot water. 

 By the laws of France, it has been prohibited to mix raw with 

 boiled filk ; both as fuch a praftice fpoils the dyeing, and as 

 the raw filk corrupts and cuts the boiled. 



SlLK.s, throwed or tififttd, are fuch as, befides their fpin- 

 ning and winding, have received their nulling or throwing. 



This they receive in a different degree, as they are palled 

 oftener or feldomcr over the mill ; properly, however, 

 throwed filks are thofe in which the threads ar^ pretty thick- 

 throwed, and twifted feveral times. 



The thrown filk cnmes to us chiefly from Leghorn, Ge- 

 uoa, Naples, and Meflina. 



Silks, Slack, arc fuch as are not twifted, but are prepared, 

 and d\cd for tapcftry, and other works with the needle. 



SiLK. Eajlern or Eiijl Indian. That popularly thus called 

 is not llie w(j;k of the filk-worm, but comes from a plant 

 that produces it> in pods, much like thole of the cotton- 



lot 



tree. The matter this pod contains is extremely whit^V 

 fine, and moderately gloffy ; it fpins eafily, and is made into 

 a kind of filk, that enters the manufafture of feveral Indian 

 and Chinefe ftuffs. 



Silks, French. It is only in the moft fouthem provinces 

 of France that filk is cultivated, mulberry-trees planted, 

 and worms bred. The principal places are Languedoc, 

 Dauphine, Provence, Avignon, Savoy, and Lyons. This 

 latt place, indeed, furnifties very few filks of its own growth ; 

 but it is the great Itaple whence the merchants of Paris, and 

 the other cities, are to fetch them. At leaft, they are 

 obliged to have them pafs through Lyons, if they bring 

 them from other places, either by land or fea. There 

 have been computed to enter Lyons, communilus annis, fix 

 thoufand bales ; the hale valued at one hundred and fixty 

 pounds weight ; of which fix thoufand bales, there are one 

 thoufand four hundred from the Levant, one thoufand fix 

 hundred from Sicily, one thoufand five hundred from Italy, 

 three hundred from Spain, and one thoufand two hundred 

 from Languedoc, Provence, and Dauphine. 



At the time when the manufaftures of Lyons were in 

 their profperity, there were reckoned to be eighteen thou- 

 fand looms employed in the filk manufafture ; but in 1698, 

 there were not reckoned four thoufand. However, this 

 manufafture afterwards revived, and a great part of Europe 

 has been fupplied from hence with brocade and rich filks. 

 The decay has not been lefs notable at Tours ; they had 

 formerly there eight hundred mills for winding and prepar- 

 ing the filks ; eight thoufand looms to weave them ; and 

 forty thoufand perfons employed in the preparation and 

 manufafturing of them ; but thefe have been reduced to 

 feventy mills, twelve hundred looms, and about four thou- 

 fand perfons. The revolution has, however, made fuch art 

 alteration in the manufaftures and trade of France, and they 

 are ftill (1816) in fo unfettled a ftate, that no correft efti- 

 mate of them can be obtained. 



Silks, Sicilian. The commerce of the filks of Sicily ha« 

 been very confiderable ; and the Florentines, Genoefc, and 

 Luccefe, are the people who have chiefly availed themfelves 

 of it. Great quantities were yearly brought thence, efpe- 

 cially from Meflina ; part of winch they uled in their own 

 manufaftures, and fold the reft to their neighbours the 

 French, &c. with profit. The Italians had this advantage, 

 efpecially the Genoefe, over other people, that, having large 

 eftabliftiments in the ifland, they were reputed as natives, and 

 paid no duty for the export. 



Part of the Sicilian filks is raw, the reft are fpun and 

 milled ; of which laft kind, thofe of St. Lucia and Meffina 

 are the moft valued. The raw unwroucfht filks were always 

 fold for ready money ; the others, fometimes, in exchange 

 for other goods. See Sicily. 



Silks, Italian. The filks brought from Italy are partly- 

 wrought, and partly raw ar.d unwrcught. Milan, Parma, 

 Lucca, and Modena, furnifti none but the latter kind ; 

 Genoa moft of the former ; Bologna affords both kinds. 

 The fineft Italian wrought filk comes from Piedmont, Novi, 

 Bergamo, and Bologna ; and is imported into England from 

 the ports of Nice, Genoa, and Leghorn. 



Tiie filk we have from Italy is generally thrown, and 

 ferves for warp for our manufactures. 



Silks, Spanijli, are all raw ; and are fpun, milled, &c. 

 in Eiigland, according to the feveral works in which they 

 are to be ufed. 



Silks, Turkey, are all raw. One advantage we have in 

 the ccmni.Tcc- of the Levant, in filks, wanting in thofe of 

 Sicily, is, that the latter are confined to a particular fea- 

 foB of the year : whereas the former are bought at all times. 



They 



