MOSAIC. 
dried, the wood being rejected. To purify 
tlie bark, tliey keep it tliree or four hours in 
water; when it is sufficiently softened, the 
cuticle, which is of a dark colour, together 
with the greenish surface of tlie inner bark, 
is pared of; at the same time the stronger 
bark is separated from the more tender ; 
the former making the whitest and best pa- 
per ; the latter a dark and inferior kind. 
The finest and whitest cloth, worn by the 
pi iiicipal people atOtaheite and in the Sand- 
wich islands, is made of the bark of this 
tree. The bread-fruit tree makes a cloth 
inferior in whiteness and softness, worn 
chiefly by the inferior people. Cloth is also, 
made of a tree resembling the wild fig-tree 
of the West Indies ; it is coarse and harsh, 
the colour of the darkest brown paper; but 
it is the most valuable, because it resists the 
water. This is perfiimed, and worn by the 
chiefs as a morning dress in Otaheite. 
MOSAIC. This term is applied to the 
art of composing figures in imitation of na- 
ture and painting, by the judicious arrange- 
ment of fragments of marble and coloured 
glass, inserted in a composition, which be- 
coming hard soon after the operation is 
completed, renders the subject a durable 
picture for ages. The learned are doubtful 
of the origin of the term, whicli is said by 
some to be derived from musaicum, which 
may be supposed to convey an idea of an 
exceeding curious and difficult representa- 
tion of natural objects in this way. 
It is impossible to ascertain the ara of 
the invention ; but it is by no means impro- 
bable that it was suggested by tlie forming 
of figures in pavements with different co- 
loured stones or marbles, the durability of 
which substances, and their resistance of 
damps, suggested the introduction of imita- 
tions of objects on walls and parts of build- 
ings exposed to the action of the weather ; 
those, however, probably were at first very 
rude and tasteless performances. The Greeks 
transmitted the art to the Romans; it was 
perpetuated in Italy, according to the Abb6 
Barthelemy, during tlie incursions of the 
Barbarians, and brought to perfection in 
Rome in subsequent ages, where the works 
of the best masters still remain for the ad- 
miration of the present and many future 
generations. The fragments, which are 
generally of marble, and cut into cubical 
forms, were distributed with great skill and 
judgment in the roost impervious cement, 
and being thus firmly connected, the sur- 
face received a high polish. The elegance 
of the work consists in the true disposition 
of the fragments, tlieir diminutive size, and' 
the richness of the colours: of the latter 
several of the principal were obtained from 
the quarries of Sicily and Greece, “ at the 
same time that the different shades were 
found blended in different species of marble. 
The whiteness and purity of snow was emu- 
lated by the Parian ; alabaster, beautifully 
fair, by that from Synnada, in Phrygia ; and 
unsullied ivory, by a different description 
from Asia Minor : the marble from Jassus, 
in Caria, furnished a glowing crimson ; and 
those of Sicily, granites and rubies.” The 
intermediate colours and gradations of co- 
lours were supplied by several means, and 
particularly enamels, as appears from the 
mosaic works discovered in the Jesuit’s 
college at Frescati, which were conveyed 
to the cabinet belonging to the order at 
Rome : in those the blue is a composition 
or paste ; and in one of the pieces are two 
shades of yellow, one of which is •marble, 
and the other brick. 
There are specimens of ancient mosaic, 
composed exclusively of enamel, and such 
were those which adorned the floors and 
walls of a house discovered in the last cen- 
tury at Surrento, and which are attributed 
to Pollio. Among the pieces preserved at 
Rome, there were several that agreed with 
the ideas generally entertained of this labo- 
rious and durable species of ornament : but 
far superior were those valuable fragments 
found by M. Fiirietti in Adrian’s villa at 
Tivoli, which he described in a work of 
great judgment and erudition. One of the 
pieces alluded to represents four doves, ar- 
ranged on the rim of a vase, and is equally 
remarkable for the excellence of the per- 
formance, and the connection of the subject 
with another treated by .Sosus, and taken 
from a house at Pergamus. “ The Abbe, ob- 
serves M. Furietti, is of opinion, that Adri- 
an had caused it to be removed to embel- 
lish his house at Tivoli ; .but may we not as 
fairly presume, that the Emperor was satis- 
fied with a copy of it? An idea that would 
solve some difficulties found in the writing* 
of Pliny.” 
The monument, however, most interest- 
ing to antiquaries, was some years past pre- 
served at the palace of the Princes of the 
Barbarini family at Palestrina, and is the 
celebrated work in mosaic which in its ori- 
ginal destination covered the sanctuary of 
the temple at Preneste. This magnificent 
specimen of ancient skill is described by 
Barthelemy as being about eighteen feet in 
length, and rather more than fourteen in 
