TAP 
TAP 
T A P 
groove from one end to the other, capable of 
containing a long round piece of wood, fast- 
ened therein with hooks. The use of it is 
to tie the ends of the warp to. The warp, 
which is a kind of worsted, or twisted woollen 
thread, is wound on the upper roller; and 
the work, as fast as woven, is wound on the 
lower. Withinside the planks, which are 
seven or eight feet high, 14 or 15 inches 
broad, find three or four thick, are holes 
pierced from top to bottom, in which are put 
thick pieces of iron, with hooks at one end, 
serving to sustain the coat-stave : these 
pieces of iron have also holes pierced, by 
putting a pin in which, the stave is drawn 
nearer or set further off ; and thus the coats 
or threads are stretched or loosened at plea- 
sure. The coat-stave is about three inches 
diameter, 4nd runs all the length of the loom ; 
on this are lixed the coats or threads, which 
make the threads of the warp cross each 
other. It has much the same effect here, as 
the spring-stave and treadles have in the com- 
mon looms. The coats' are little threads fast- 
ened to each thread of the warp with a kind 
of sliding knot, which forms a sort of mesh or 
ring. They serve to keep the warp open for 
the passage of broaches wound with silks, 
woollens, or other matters used in the piece 
of tapestry. In the last place, there are a 
number of little sticks of different lengths, 
but all about an inch in diameter, which the 
workman keeps by him in baskets, to serve 
to make the threads of the warp cross each 
other, by passing them across; and, that the 
threads thus crossed may retain their proper 
situation, a packthread is run among the 
threads, above the stick. 
The loom being thus formed, and mounted 
with its warp, the first thing the workman 
does, is to draw on the threads of this warp, 
the principal lines and strokes of the design 
to be represented on the piece of tapestry ; 
which is done by applying cartoons, made 
from the painting he intends to copy, to the 
side that is to be the wrong side of the piece, 
and then, with a black-lead pencil, following 
and tracing out the contours thereof on the 
thread of the right side, so fhat the strokes 
appear equally both before and behind. 
As for the original design the work is to be 
finished by, it is hung up behind the work- 
men, and wound on a long staff, from which 
a piece is unrolled from time to time as the 
work proceeds. 
Besides the loom, &c. here described, there 
are three other principal instruments required 
for working the silk or the wool of the woof 
within the threads of the warp ; these are a 
broach, a reed, and an iron needle. 
The broach is made of a hard wood, seven 
or eight inches long, and two-thirds of an inch 
thick, ending in a point with a little handle. 
This serves as -a shuttle; thesilks, woollens, 
gold, or silver, to be used in the work, being 
wound on it, 
The reed or comb is also of wood, yight or 
nine inches long, and an inch thick on the 
back, whence it grows less and less to the ex- 
tremity of the teeth, which are more or less 
apart, according to the greater or less degree 
of fineness of the intended work. Lastly, the 
needle is made in form of the common needle, 
only larger and longer. Its use is to press 
close the wool and silks when there is any 
line or colour that does not fit well. 
All things being prepared fo* the work, 
and the workman ready to begim, he places 
himself , on the .wrong side of the piece, with 
his back towards the design ; so that he works 
iu a manner blindfold, seeing nothing of 
what lie does, and being obliged to quit his 
post, and go to the other side of the loom, 
whenever he would view and examine the 
piece, to correct it with his pressing- needle. 
To put silk, &c. in the warp, he first turns 
andJooks at the design ; then, taking a broach- 
fid of the proper colour, he places it among 
the threads of the warp, which he brings 
cross each other with his lingers, by means of 
the coats or threads fastened to the stall ; this 
he repeats every time lie is to change his 
I colour. Having placed the silk or wool, he 
beats it with his reed or comb ; and when he 
has thus wrought in several rows over each 
other, he goes to see the effects they have, in 
order to reform the contours wuth his needle, 
if there should be occasion. As the work ad- 
vances, it is rolled upon the lower beam, and 
they unrol as much warp from the upper 
beam as suffices them to continue the piece ; 
the like they do of the design behind them. 
When the pieces are wide, several workmen 
may be employed at once. 
We have two things to add : the first is, 
that the high-warp tapestry goes on much 
more slowly than the low-warp, and takes up 
almost twice the time and trouble. The 
second is, that all the difference that the eye 
can perceive between the two kinds, consists 
in this ; that in the low warp there is a red 
fillet, about one-twelfth of an inch broad, run- 
ning on each side from top to bottom, which 
is wanting in the high warp. 
But, for the satisfaction of our readers, we 
shall herff describe the principal parts of the 
loom for the manufacture of tapestry of 
the high warp, or that in a situation perpen- 
dicular to the horizon. The loom consists, 
1. Of two strong upright posts fixed in 
the floor: these support (2.) two rollers, of 
which the upper end holds the chain, the 
lower holds the tapestry, which is rolled 
upon it according as the work goes forward: 
the th reads are fastened at their ends to a 
dweet, or thick rod, which is lodged in a 
groove made on each roller. 3. The two 
tantoes, one called the great tantoe, for turn- 
ing ihe upper roller ; the other, the little 
tantoe, for turning the lower roller. 4. The 
pole of the leishes, which runs quite across 
the chain, takes up all the leishes, and brings 
them to the workman’s hand. These leishes 
are little strings, tied by a slip-knot to each 
thread of the chain, to be raised up according 
as the chain sinks down : they Serve to draw 
the particular thread which the weaver wants. 
He holds the thread separate from the rest, 
and passes a spindle of such a woof and colour 
as he thinks proper ; then he lets the spindle 
hang down, and hinders the thread from run- 
ning off by a slip-knot. After having taken 
one or two threads of the fore part of the 
chain by another leish, he brings the threads 
of the opposite side to him. By this alterna- 
tive work he constantly makes them cross one 
another, to take in and secure the woof. In 
order to distinguish the threads of both sides, 
he is assisted by the cross rod, which is put 
between two rows of threads. 5. A long 
tract of dots formed by the ends of the leishes 
which take hold of the leishes of the chain by 
a slip-knot ; and on the other hand encom- 
pass the pole of the leishes. 6. The cross- 
rod. 7. A little chain, each loop of which 
contains four or five threads of the warp, and ' 
keeps them perpendicular. 8. An iron hook, 
to support (he pole of the leishes. 9, The 
broacher-quill, to pass ihe threads of tire 
woof, which is wound on it. 10. 4 he comb, 
to strike in the work. 11. T he end of the 
dweet let into the roller, in a groove. 
When the chain is mounted, the draughts- ■ 
man traces the principal outlines of the pic- I 
ture, which is to be wrought with black chalk 1 
on the fore and back side of the chain. The i 
weaver in the upright way having prepared a a 
good stock of quills, filled with threads of all 1 
colours, goes to work, placed on the back I 
part, as in the fiat way, or in the manufacture i 
of the low warp. He lias behind him his 1 
drawings, on which he frequently looks, that I 
he may from time to time see how' his work 
succeeds on the right or fore side, which the 
other cannot do. 
TAPIR, a genus of quadrupeds of the 
order belluae. 4’ he generic character is, 
front teeth in boih jaws, ten ; canine teeth in 
both jaws, single, incur, a Led ; grinders in both 1 
jaws, five on each side, very broad ; feet with 
three hoofs and a false hoof on the fore feet. 
Tapir Americanus, American tapir. The 
tapir, with respect to the size of its body, may- 
be considered as tire largest of all the native 
quadrupeds of South America, except the 
lately discovered equus bisulcus of Molina. 
When full-grown it is nearly equal to a 
heifer. In its general form it bears some dis- 
tant resemblance to the hippopotamus, and in 
the earlier editions of the Systemu Naturae 
was ranked by Linnaeus in that genus, under , 
the title of hippopotamus terrestris. By others 
it has been considered as more allied to the 
hog, and has been called sus aquaticus mul- 
tisuicus, or water-hog with lingered hoof ; 
but, in reality, the tapir cannot properly he 
associated, otherwise than by a distant gene- 
ral alliance, with any other quadruped, and 
forms a peculiar genus. It is of a gregarious 
nature, and inhabits the woods and rivers of 
the eastern parts of South America ; occur- j 
ring from the isthmus of Darien to the river 
Amazons ; feeding chiefly by night, and eat- 
ing sugar-canes, grasses, and various kinds of 
fruit. Its colour is an obscure brown, the 
skin itself being of that cast, and covered 
sparingly with somewhat short hair: the j 
young animal is said to be commonly spotted 
with white. The male is distinguished by a 
kind of short proboscis or trunk, formed by 
the prolongation of the upper lip to some 
distance beyond the lower: this part is ex- ; 
tensile, wrinkled at the sides, and in some 
degree resembles that of the elephant on a 
smaller scale, though not of the same tubular 
structure. T ire neck is very short, and fur- 
nished above with a rising mane ; the body is . 
thick and heavy ; the back much arched ; 
the legs short ; the fore feet divided into four 
toes with pointed hoofs ; the hind intq three 
only ; the tail is very short, thickish, and 
pointed. The female is said to be destitute 
of the proboscis. 
In its manners this animal is perfectly 
harmless ; endeavouring merely to save it- 
self by flight when pursued, plunging into 
some river if at hand, and swimming with 
great readiness, and even continuing for a 
considerable time under water, in the manner 
