HISTORY OF FLAX-SPINNING. 



255 



the wonder of the nymphs who came to see her triumphs in 

 the textile art, not less than the finished labour of the loom." 



The distaff was generally about a yard in length, commonly 

 a stick or reed, with an expansion near the top for holding 

 the ball; it was usually held under the left arm, and the 

 fibres were drawn out from the projecting ball, being at the 

 same time spirally twisted by the forefinger and thumb of the 

 right hand. The thread so produced was wound upon the 

 spindle, until the quantity was as great as it would carry. 



The spindle was made of some light wood or reed, and 

 was generally from eight to twelve inches in length. At the 

 ,top of it was a slit or catch to which the thread was fixed, so 

 that the weight of the spindle might carry the thread down to 

 the ground as fast as it was finished ; its lower extremity was 

 inserted in a whorl or wheel, made of stone, metal, or some 

 heavy material, which both served to keep it steady and 

 promote its rotation. The spinner, who was usually a female, 

 every now and then gave the spindle a fresh gyration, by a 

 gentle touch, so as to increase the torsion or twist of the 

 thread. Whenever the spindle touched the ground a length 

 was spun ; the thread was then taken out of the slit or clasp, 

 and the thread just finished wound upon the spindle ; the 

 clasp was again closed, and the spinning of a new thread 

 commenced. 



Distaffs and spindles of this kind were commonly used in 

 the Spanish Peninsula at a very recent period, and it is pro- 

 bable that they may still be found in remote districts. They 

 were also used by the peasantry in the west of Ireland, some 

 of whom are known to be of Spanish descent. As the 

 bobbin of each spindle was loaded with thread, it was taken 

 off the whorl and placed in a basket, until there was a suffi- 

 cient quantity for the weavers to commence their operations. 



The threads of the warp or longitudinal fibres, were always 

 stronger than those of the weft or thread, shot through the 



