126 
No. LXXVIIL—STRING. 
By JOHN EVANS, Esq., E.B.S. 
The art of making string from vegetable fibre has been known 
from a very early period, and was practised by the occupants of the 
Swiss Lake-dwellings at a time when cutting-instruments were 
formed of stone and not of metal. The use, however, of animal 
fibre for ligaments of various kinds probably dates back to a 
much more remote period, as needles formed of bone have been 
found in caves of the first stone age, or what is known as the 
Palaeolithic period. String or twine composed of long fibres is 
usually twisted, but sometimes also plaited. Thread made of 
finer and generally shorter fibres is usually spun either by hand 
or by means of a wheel; such spun thread is generally used for 
weaving. In some cases, split vegetable stems (such as rattan), 
strips of skin, or the intestines of animals are employed for 
binding purposes without being twisted. The following ques¬ 
tions are suggested. 
1. What animal or vegetable substances are employed for the 
manufacture of rope, string, or thread ? 2. Are they subjected 
to any preparation before or after manufacture P 3. Are they 
used in strips or twisted, plaited or spun ? 4. To what pur¬ 
poses are each of the principal varieties applied, as, for instance, 
for binding, netting, making bow-strings or fishing-lines, plait¬ 
ing into articles of clothing or for weaving ? (LXXIX.) 5. In 
the case of animal fibres being used, whafiare the parts thus 
employed ? and how are they prepared ? 6. Are the bands of 
these materials used wet, so as to tighten in drying ? 7. In 
spinning thread for weaving, what process is employed? 8. Are 
any domesticated animals kept for the purpose of supplying ma¬ 
terials to be spun ? or are any plants cultivated for the sake of 
their fibre? is silk known? 9. How are articles sewn? are 
needles employed, or awls to bore holes, or tweezers to draw 
through the thread ? 10. What is the process of netting, and the 
form of the needle and mesh ? 11. Are knotted ropes or strings 
used as aids to the memory ? 12. In the case of silk being 
known, what is the process of preparation ? 13. Are cords in 
any way used as measures of length? 14. Are the string and 
thread usually dyed ? (LXVII.) 15. Are spindle-whorls used 
in the manufacture of thread or string ? 
