253 
H A T, 
the cap, together with the cape behind, agreeable to the 
quality and fafliion ordered to be made, is alfo to be 
painted, japanned, or varnifhed, on one or both fides, 
as may be thought neceffary. When the peak or rim, 
together with.the cape and lining, are affixed to the 
crown, in the ufual manner, the cap is then finiffied, 
exclufive of any ornament that may be thought proper 
to affix to the fame. Men’s hats are made in the fame 
manner, and with the fame materials, as the crown of the 
cap, except being principally covered with filk, linen, 
cotton, or other texture, wrought in a loom, cemented 
to the pafteboard in like manner as defcribed for the 
cap. And alfo except that fuch breadth is given to 
that fide or inner part or edge of the flap, or brim, that 
is next the crown, as will admit of its being notched 
and turned up, fo as to lie clofe to the fide of the crown, 
and to be united thereto by fevving. And, with the 
fame cement as applied to the cap, the parts fo turned 
up, fewed, and cemented to the crown, are to be covered 
with leather, or any texture woven in a loom: the whole 
is then to be painted, japanned, or varnifhed, on one or 
both fides, as may be thought proper, and in like man¬ 
ner as the caps. The preparation of leather for boots, 
fhoes, or other articles where a power of repelling wet 
is required, may be painted, japanned, or varnifhed, in 
like manner, on one or both fides, as may be found ne- 
ceffary. When this operation is performed upon leather, 
it mull be upon fuch only which has not been dreffed 
with oil, or any other greafy fubftance. The prepara¬ 
tions of pafteboard, filk, linen, cotton, fluffs, or any 
other texture wrought in a loom, intended for water¬ 
proof fhoes, gaiters, womens hats or bonnets, &c. are 
to be painted, japanned, or varnifhed, on one or both 
fides, in like manner as the articles before fpecified.” 
Straw Hats and Bonnets have of late years taken 
a decided lead among the fafltioos of the day, which 
their fimple elegance and lightnefs of wear indifputably 
warrant; befides that it is encouraging our home manu¬ 
facture, inftead of that of Leghorn. The art of making 
them is both eafy and ingenious. Mr. Boileau, of Bru- 
ton-flreet, Hanover-fquare, obtained a patent for the 
manufacture of ftraw intobats, bonnets, &c. which he 
describes to be as follows: “ I prepare the ftraw, by 
feparating it at each joint, and taking.off all the outfide 
ikin or covering. One end muft be cut pointed, in the 
form of a pen, that it may be inferted into the hollow of 
another, as it is worked. It muft then be immerfed in 
water, fo that the water may pafs through its tube; 
which takes oft' its brittl.enefs, and makes it work uni¬ 
form, fo as to take the fhape of the block, and yet.pre- 
ferve its natural fhape. After the ftraw is thus pre¬ 
pared, take a mould of wood, or other material, exaCtly 
of the form or fhape of the crown of the hat, bonnet, or 
other article you pxopofe to make ; and, at the top of 
it, from the centre, defcribe a fmall circle-: from that 
circle, draw perpendicular, ferpentine, diagonal, or other 
lines or curves, as fancy may didate. As thofe lines or 
curves form the ribs-or reparations of the work when 
complete, at the top of each of thefe lines or curves, 
where they touch the circle, fix a fmall nail, or pin; to 
which fallen a double wire, covered or uncovered; which 
wire muft be twice the length of the line or curve, and 
tied or fattened to the nail, or pin, juft in the middle of 
the wire, that there may be two equal ends of wire to 
work. Begin working, by introducing the pipe or quill 
ftraw betwixt the two wires; which wire muft be drawn 
tight, and even with the line or curye. Repeat the fame 
at every line or curve round the block; that is to fay, 
let one wire go over, and the other under, the ftraw, at 
every line or curve. To the end of it join the ftraw, 
by introducing the fharp end of another ftraw into the 
.former, juft at the line or curve, and continue thus to 
the bottom of the block. To make the brim of the hat 
.or bonnet, or to perform any flat work, take a fheet of 
thick pafteboard, and, after drawing the Circle (for a hat 
yoL. IX. No..582. 
or bonnet) formed by the bottom of the crown, and for 
other flat work at will, draw lines or curves,' according 
to fancy, as before ; and, inftead of nails or pins, as de¬ 
fcribed to be fixed into the block, make two fmall holes 
at the top of the lines or curves on the circle, through 
which pafs the wire, and tie it in the fame manner as 
to the nails or pins. When finilhed, the brim is to be 
fewed, or othervvife fixed, to the crown.; or it may be 
continued to be worked on the pafteboard to the crown, 
fo that the hat or bonnet ftiall be all in one piece, with¬ 
out, reparation. Fix or place, in the fpace left by the 
circle at the top of the crown, a device of draw, or any 
other ornament, and likewife round the edge of the 
brim, when the work will be complete. It may be 
obferved, that, being worked with wire, a variety 
of form or fhape may be obtained, without injury to 
the work.” 
Mr. Cordon of Ludgate-hill has communicated, in the 
TranfaCtions of the London Society of Arts, &c. vol. 23, 
for 1805, an account of his having fucceeded in manu¬ 
facturingfor hats of rye-Jlraw, railed on poor land, 
equal to the fineft foreign plait. Perfons who have dealt 
many years in this article, atteft that they could not dif- 
tinguifh this home manufacture from the very beft Ita¬ 
lian Leghorn. 
The duty on felt hats commenced October 2, 1784, by 
flat. 24 Geo. III. c. 51. viz. 
Licence to fell hats retail in London, Weft-1 £. s. d . 
minfter. Borough, and within the Bills of:> 2 00 
Mortality - - - 1 
Ditto in other parts of the kingdom - 05© 
No hats to be fold without fuch licence, un-? 
der penalty of - - - S 5 
And “Dealers in Hats” to be written over J 2 o o 
the door under penalty of - - 5 
Duty on every hat of 4s. or under - -003 
Ditto above 4s. and not exceeding 7s. - 006 
Ditto above 7s. and not exceeding 12&. - 01© 
Ditto above 12s. and upwards - -020 
And by the flat. 3 6 Geo. III. c. 125, it is enaCted, 
that, after Auguft 5, 1796, the above duty ftiall be cal¬ 
culated according to the full price of the hat, and of all 
the mountings and other ornaments (except gold and 
filver lace) fold therewith. And every hat made wholly 
-of felt, wool, fluff, beaver, or leather, or any mixture 
therewith, fhall be liable to the duties. And every fuch 
hat fhall, previous to the fale and delivery, be lined or 
covered in the infide of the crown with filk, linen, or 
other proper materials, with a durable ftamp affixed 
thereon to denote the above duties. 
And, after Anguft 5, 1796, if any perfon (other than 
licenfed dealers buying hats of other licenfed dealers) 
fhall receive on fale, or if any perfon fhall, after April 5, 
1797, wear or a/e, any hat wherein no lining or infide co¬ 
vering fhall be affixed, or if the lining or covering fhall 
not be (tamped according to this aft, or not have the 
ftamp placed therein in a vifible manner, every fuch per¬ 
fon (hall forfeit ten pounds. And no perfon (other than 
manufacturers or dealers felling to other dealers) fhall 
fell or exchange any hat wherein no lining or infide co¬ 
vering fhall be affixed, or wherein there fhall be a lining 
that fhall not be (tamped, or that ftiall not be ftamped 
with a ftamp placed in the infide of the crown fo as to 
be vifible, or that fhall be ftamped with a ftamp of lefs 
value than required, on pain to forfeit ten pounds. 
Perfons carrying about hats for fale without any lin¬ 
king, or with a lining not duly ftamped, may be appre¬ 
hended and carried before a magiftrate, and the appre- 
liender, on conviction of the offender, is to be entitled 
to forty (hillings; and the offender in fuch cafe is to be 
committed to the ho life of correction for not exceeding 
fix nor lefs than two calendar months. And if any per¬ 
fon fhall take out of any hat the ftamped lining after 
the fame fhall have been ufed or worn, with intent to 
affix the fame to any other hat, or fhall affix any fuch 
3 T ftamped 
