THE TECHNOLOGIST. [July 1, 1864. 



550 TRADE OF CENTRAL ASIA. 



easily discovered, independently of the noise, by the presence of a very 

 peculiar odour arising from the boiling of the cocoons over a fire, in 

 order to detach the fibre of silk. This process must first be performed 

 ere the fibre-silk can be used as feeding for the revolving wheel, the 

 diameter of which is usually ten or twelve feet in size. 



The colour of the silk when wound round the wheel becomes some- 

 what deeper, and exhibits a glossiness not so observable before. The 

 more extensive manufactories, of which there is one some two miles' 

 ride from Beyrout, have many cauldrons, and also many wheels. In 

 one there are as many as 600 hands employed. After the silk, in almost 

 fibre-fineness, has been all wound around the wheel, it is removed and 

 doubled up into hanks, and taken to the houses of the dyers, where it 

 may next be seen steeping in large cauldrons until the dye has 

 thoroughly pervaded it ; the silk is then wrung out and dried, and 

 finally removed to the bazaars for sale, or else — as is the case with a 

 great portion — exported. Handlooms are the ouly weaving machines 

 in use in Syria. 



TRADE OF CENTRAL ASIA. 



The common manufactures comprise inferior sabres, glass, delf, 

 coarse cloths of goats' hair called Tcurk, and of camels' hair called barak- 

 sltutri, which are made into cloaks and exported to Turkistan and Persia. 

 A coarser fabric is used for nomad tents. Cotton cloths are woven for 

 shirts and trousers. Sheepskins with the wool on are skilfully pre- 

 pared and embroidered at Kabul, and sent all over Central Asia. 

 Metals, Bukhara silk goods, cloth, muslins, woollens, and cottons, prin- 

 cipally of European manufacture, are amongst the chief imports. 

 General Ferrier states that fowling-pieces, watches, delf, cutlery, 

 spectacles, rich and heavy silk goods, woollens or cottons for turbans, 

 and sashes for the waist, paper, and sugar might be offered for sale with 

 advantage. 



The mulberry is largely grown for rearing silkworms. 



About ten days or a fortnight after the midberry-trees put forth their 

 leaves, the eggs of the silkworms are removed from the place where 

 they had been preserved during the winter, and being wrapped in a 

 cloth are carried against the naked breast, or stiU oftener under the 

 armpit. Three or five days are quite sufficient for the little insect to be 

 hatched. They are then placed in a vessel, and fed with the leaves 

 gathered from the mulberry ; after ten days, the worms, according to 

 the expression of the Bukkarians, faU into their first sleep or trance, 

 i. e., they take no nourishment three days running ; repeating the same 



