Feb. 1, 1865.] THE TECHNOLOGIST. 



COLONIAL TWEED AND CLOTH MANUFACTORY AT SYDNEY. 307 



the difficulty of detaching it from the shell (itself so valuable) render it 

 practically useless for oil manufacture. The shell is about equal in 

 hardness to that of the ordinary cocoa-nut, and equally susceptible of a 

 fine polish. It is from one-tenth to three-sixteenths of an inch in 

 thickness. 



The foregoing simple account of the Lodoicea Seychellarum proves it 

 to be a most interesting plant in a scientific point of view, and a very 

 valuable one in an economical one. It is therefore well worthy of the 

 attention of the Government, as well as of private individuals, to use 

 means not only to prevent its extinction, but to favour its propa- 

 gation. 



COLONIAL TWEED AND CLOTH MANUFACTORY AT 

 SYDNEY. 



By the invitation of the proprietor, 0. B.Ebsworth,we lately had an oppor- 

 tunity of inspecting an Australian cloth establishment. The premises, 

 consisting of the mill, fulling house, press house, weaving shops, dye 

 house, overseer's house, &c, form a portion of the well-known Barker's 

 Steam-mills, situated in Sussex street, Sydney, running from thence to the 

 waters of Darling harbour, forming almost a little colony in itself. 

 Although adjoining the flour mill of Messrs. Barker and Co., the works in 

 no way interfere with them, their driving power being supplied by a 

 separate engine. In describing the manufacture of a piece of tweed, it will 

 be better to follow the raw material from the time the bale of wool is re- 

 ceived within the walls, for which purpose we are first conducted to the dye- 

 house, a large building containing four large dye-pans and an indigo vat. 

 Water is laid on throughout, and the furnaces under each are fired from the 

 outside of the building. Here the wool is scoured thoroughly, and is ready 

 for the pots, where it is dyed as required. Indigo-dyeing has lately been 

 introduced, and the vat is the first of the kind erected and made use of. 

 The colour is perfectly fast, but this process is much more expensive than 

 the common dyeing. There is likewise the process of yarn-dyeing carried 

 on ; and this is made use of principally for fancy and delicate colours. 



The wool thus prepared is ready for the operation of the mill, but all 

 wool required for white of checks or fancy goods is scoured at the pro- 

 prietor's wool-washing establishment at Newtown, and is returned from 

 thence almost as white as cotton. The first machine through which it 

 passes, called the devil, opens the wool and deprives it of burrs or other 

 extraneous substances. It is then spread out about six inches thick and 

 oiled, another layer of wool, then oil, and so on until the blend is com- 

 plete. 



The operation of teazing commences by passing it through the teazer 



