II A T 
H A 
H A T 
The capades thus finished, they go on to 
harden them into closer and more consistent 
flakes by pressing down a hardening skin or 
leather thereon ; this done, they are carried 
to the bason, which is a sort of bench with an 
iron plate fitted in it, and a little lire under- 
neath; upon which laying one of the harden- 
ed capades, sprinkled over with water, and a 
sort of mould being applied, the heat ot the 
fire, with the water and pressing, embody the 
matter into a slight hairy sort ot stuff or felt ; 
after which, turning up the edges all round 
the mould, they lay it by, and thus proceed 
to the other: this finished, the next two are 
joined together, so as to meet in an angle at 
the top, and only form, one conical cap, after 
the manner of a manican hippocratis, orjeliy- 
bag. 
The hat thus basoned, they remove it to a 
large kind of receiver or trough, resembling 
a mill-hopper, going sloping or narrowing 
down from the edge or rim to the bottom, 
which is a copper kettle filled with water and 
grounds, kept hot for that purpose. On the 
descent or sloping side, called the plank, the 
basoned hat, being first dipped in the kettle, 
is laid; and here they proceed to work it, by 
rolling and unrolling' it again and again, one 
part after another, first with the hand, and then 
with a little wooden roller, taking care to dip 
it from time to time, till at length, by thus 
fulling and thickening it four or live hours, it 
is reduced to the extent or dimensions of the 
hat intended. 
The hat thus wrought, they proceed to give 
it the proper form, which is done by laying 
the conical cap on a wooden block, of the 
intended size of the crown of the hat, and 
then tying it round with a packthread: after 
which’ with a piece of iron or copper bent 
for that purpose, and called a stamper, they 
gradually boat or drive it down all round, 
till it has reached the bottom of the block, 
and thus is the crown formed ; what remains 
at bottom below the string being the brim. 
The hat being now set to dry, they proceed 
to singe it, by holding it over a hare of straw 
or the like; then it is pounced, or rubbed 
over with pumice, to take oh the coarser 
knap; then rubbed over afresh with seal- 
skin to lay the knap a little finer ; and lastly, 
carded with a fine card to raise tiie fine cot- 
ton, with which the hat is afterwards to ap- 
pear. 
Things thus far advanced, the hat is thus 
sent, upon its block, and tied about with a 
packthread as before, to be dyed. The dye 
being completed, the hat is returned to the 
hatter, who proceeds to dry it, by hanging it 
in the top or roof of a stove or oven, at the 
bottom of which is a charcoal fire; when dry, 
it is to be stiffened, which is done with melted 
glue or gum senega'., applied thereon by first 
smearing it, and beating it over with a brush, 
and then rubbing it with the hand. 1 he 
next thing is to steam it on the steaming-ba- 
son, which is a little hearth or fire-place. 
When steamed sufficiently, and dried, they 
put it again on the block, and brush and iron 
it on a table or bench for the purpose, called 
the stall-board; this they perform with a sort 
of Irons like those commonly used in ironing 
linen, and heated like them, which being 
rubbed over and over each part of the hat, 
with the assistance of the brush, smooths and 
^tvtts it s. gloss, which is the last opeiat.on, 
nothing now remains but to clip the edges 
even with seissars, and sew a lining to the 
crown. For dyeing of hats, see Dyeing. 
A patent was granted in January, 1782, to 
Mr. Robert Golding, of Southwark, hat- 
dyer, for his method of dyeing, staining, and 
colouring, beaver hats green, or any othei; co- 
lour. The inventordireets the nap of the lmt 
to be raised by means of a card, on the side 
intended to be dyed, and then boiled in alum 
argol. A thin paste should be made of flour, 
or clay, which is spread over every part that 
is not to be dyed, and then closed; or the 
hat may be previously pasted, and instead of 
being boiled, it should only be simmered in the 
same liquor. As soon as the paste is spread, 
plates of copper or other metal, shaped like a 
common funnel, are fixed over the paste, to 
prevent the dye from penetrating through. 
In this state the hat is immersed in the dye, 
till the colour is sufficiently fixed, when it 
is taken out, opened, and cleansed from the 
paste: but if any colouring particles have pe- 
netrated through the felt, they may be re- 
moved by rubbing them with a small quantity 
of spirit of salt, aquafortis, &c. 'File com- 
pounds employed in dyeing, are fustic, tur- 
meric, ebony, saffron, alum, argol, indigo, 
and vitriol, with urine, or pearlash, at the op- 
tion of the dyer ; all which are used toge- 
ther, or separately, according to the colour 
required. 
Mr. Dunnage, in 1794, obtained a patent 
for water-proof hats, in imitation of beaver. 
The articles he employs are similar to those 
commonly used for the making of hats, with 
which he mixes Bergam, Piedmont, or or- 
ganzine silk. These are dressed and worked 
in a peculiar manner ; though we understand 
that hats thus prepared become heavy and 
oppressive to the wearer, while they acquire 
au ugly colour. The same manufacturer 
procured another patent in November, 1798, 
tor a method of ventilating the crowns of 
hats. This invention consists in separating 
the top from the sides of the crown, so that 
the tip, or top crown, may be either raised or 
let down at pleasure, in order to admit the 
external air, or to exclude it from circulating 
in the crown of the hat. The whole con- 
trivance is effected by means of springs, 
sliders, sockets, grooves, loops, and cases, 
which are connected with the top and side- 
crown: thus the admission or exclusion of 
atmospheric air in front, behind, or on either 
side, may be regulated accordingly. Bee 
Repertory, voT. iv. and x. 
Another patent was granted for the same 
thing to Messrs. Walker and Alphey, in the 
year 1801. 
Hats are also made for women’s wear, of 
chips, straw, or cane, by platting, and sew- 
ing the plats together; beginning with the 
centre of the crown, and working round till 
the whole is finished. Hats for the same 
purpose are also woven, and made ot horse- 
hair, silk, &c. There are few manufactures 
in the kingdom in which so little capital is 
wanted, or the knowledge of the art so soon 
acquired, as in that of straw-platting. One 
guinea is quite sufficient for the purchase of 
the machines and materials for employing 
one hundred persons for several months. 
The straw is cut at the joints ; and the 
outer covering being removed, it is sorted of 
equal sizes, and made up into bundles of 
5X2 
8 <$ 
eight ©r ten inches in length, and a foot in 
circumference. They are then to be dipped 
in water, and shaken a little so as not to re- 
tain too much moisture ; and then the bundles 
are to be placed on their edges, in a box 
which is sufficiently close to prevent the eva- 
poration of smoke. In the middle of the box 
is au earthen dish containing brimstone 
broken in small pieces: this is set on fire, and 
the box covered over and kept in the open 
air several hours. 
It will be the business of one person to split 
and select the straws for fifty others who are 
braiders. The splitting is done by a small 
machine made principally of wood. The 
straws, when split, are termed splints, of 
which each worker has a certain quantity : 
on one end is wrapped a linen cloth, and they 
are held under the arm, and drawn out as 
wanted. 
Platters should be taught to use their se- 
cond fingers and thumbs, instead of the fore- 
fingers, which are often required to assist in 
turning the splints, and very much facilitate 
the platting; and they should be cautioned 
against wetting the splints too much. Each 
platter should have a small linen work-bag, 
and a piece of pasteboard to roll the plat 
round. After five yards have been worked 
up, it should be wound about a piece of board 
half a yard wide, fastened at the top with 
yarn, and kept there several days to form it in 
a proper shape. Four of these parcels, or a 
score, is the measurement by which the plat 
is sold. 
HATCHEL, Hackle, or Hitchel, a 
tool with which flax and hemp are combed 
into fine hairs. It consists of long iron pins, 
or teeth, regularly set in a piece of board. 
There are several sorts of batchels, each 
finer than the other, with which flax and hemp 
are prepared for spinning. 
HATCHES, in a ship, a kind of trap- 
doors between the main-mast and fore-mast, 
through which all goods of bulk are let down 
into the hold. 
Hatches also denote flood-gates set in a 
river, &c. to stop the current of the water; 
particularly certain dams or mounds made of 
rubbish, clay, or earth, to prevent the water 
that issues from the stream-works and tin- 
washes in Cornwal, from running into the 
fresh rivers. 
HATCHING, the maturating fecundated 
eggs, whether by the incubation and warmth 
of the parent bird, or by artificial heat, so as 
to produce young chickens alive. 
The art of hatching chickens by means of 
ovens has long been practised in Egypt ; but 
it is there only known to the inhabitants of a 
single village named Berme, and to those 
who live at a small distance from it. To- 
wards the beginning of autumn they scatter 
themselves all over the country, where each 
person among them is ready to undertake the 
management of an oven, each of which is of a 
different size, but in general they are capa- 
ble of containing from forty to fourscore thou- 
sand eggs. r l lie number of these oven* 
placed up and down the country is about three 
hundred and eighty-six, and they usually kee 
them working for about six months: as thereP 
fore each brood takes up in an oven, as under 
a hen, only twenty-one days, it is easy in 
every one of them to ha.tch eight different 
brood* of chickens. Every Bevmean is under 
