order over the treadles. This arrangement is common in practice and is therefore adopted in the following examples: Fig. 41 is a

DOUBLE CLOTH HARNESS.

Having already explained the principle on which double cloth is woven, it only remains for us to show how that principle is extended to the draw loom.

Suppose we take a shawl for example, the pattern of which is scarlet and the ground blue, the warp of course will be composed of a blue and scarlet thread alternately; and suppose two threads of each colour to be drawn through each mail of the harness. Were the texture to be that of a three leaf tweel, six front leaves, three for the blue and three for the scarlet, would be necessary, and twelve treadles would be required to make the treading alternate. A four leaf tweel, however, would require eight leaves of headles and only eight treadles. The following plans will show the draught and cording of these mountings:

In these plans the crosses X represent sinking cords, and the black squares raising cords.

In weaving these shawls two picks of blue and two of scarlet weft are thrown in alternately, the two former on the fore warp, and the two latter on the back warp.

Warp.

VELVETS.

This species of manufacture having never been introduced into America, where consequently it can be but little known, some account of it will not, perhaps, be uninteresting to the reader.

In these, as in some other branches of fancy weaving, considerable ingenuity is displayed in the production of patterns, which in general exhibit a variety of flushing or floating peculiar to themselves. This will be obvious from a perusal of the specimens subjoined to these descriptions. The ground, or back, as it is generally termed, is sometimes plain, and sometimes tweeled. In the former case it is called a tabby or plain back, and in the latter, a jean or Genoa back, and the jeans are single or double, according as they are woven in a three or four leaf tweel mounting. The flushing, which is afterwards cut up to form the ridges or the pile, is thrown in and interwoven with the ground at various intervals, and upon this depends all the diversity of patterns which we see in these fabrics. A few examples will illustrate these observations. Fig. 47 is a

If we examine this plan we will find that the treadle marked 1, or the first in the order of treading, will raise all the odd threads 1, 3, 5, in the draught, and the treadle marked 4 will raise all the even ones; consequently, these two treadles wrought alternately will produce plain cloth, or in other words, they will work the ground or back. The other three treadles are for the flushing. By tracing over the treading of this figure, it will be found, that there are two picks of the flushing thrown in for each pick of the ground, which are marked 2, 3, 5, 6, in the succession of treading; the treadle 6, being the same as 3, is added merely to keep the treads alternate when both feet are employed on the treadles.

The following plan, Fig 48, is an example of a

* When figures are to be formed on velvets, agreeably to any particular pattern, recourse must be had to the Jacquard, or draw loom. See Gilroy's loom mountings.

In this plan the treadles on which the figures 1, 3, and 6 are marked, are for weaving the back, it being the single jean, or three leaf tweel; but as each pick of the flushing weft floats over five threads of warp, and is only interwoven with the sixth, two sets of tweeling leaves are necessary in order to extend the draught to that range. In the present example we also find, that there are ten picks of flushing weft thrown in for six of the back, and these ten picks are interwoven with the warp threads 3 and 4 in the draught, and the flushed space afterwards cut up by the plough or lance.

PLUSH VELVET.

Plush velvet, or shag, is woven on a principle something different from any of the preceding fabrics. It consists of two warps, one called the main warp or ground, which is commonly made of hard silk, and the other the pile warp. These warps are beamed on separate rollers, the latter being placed below the former.

When the heading or end of the piece is woven, the weaver raises the pile warp, which is drawn on a separate leaf from the ground, and into this shed he introduces a wire which is longer than the breadth of the cloth; a few picks of the ground are woven (generally two) and another wire introduced, and so on with a third wire. In each of these wires is a groove, along which the weaver runs the point of a sharp instrument called a trivet, which cuts the pile, and relieves the wires in succession, and the operation is repeated till the piece is finished. The pile warp is commonly made of softer silk than the main warp, or of a fine kind of goat's hair, and the surface of the shag is afterwards cut evenly and smooth with a pair of shears, or a revolving spiral knife. On this principle is woven that fabric of which hats are made.

SECTION FOURTH.

WEAVING CROSSED WARPS.

"There is a large field of knowledge, proper for the use and advantage of men in this world; viz. to find out new inventions of dispatch, to shorten or ease our labour; or applying sagaciously together several agents and materials, to procure new and beneficial productions fit for our use, whereby our stock of riches, (i. e. things useful for the conveniences of our life,) may be increased, or better preserved."—Locke.

THE species of ornamental weaving which we have now to investigate, is exclusively adapted to the slightest and most flimsy

textures.

Like the other branches of the art, we derived our first knowledge of cross-weaving from the East; but it certainly has been much improved, and a considerable variety of nets have been added by the invention and ingenuity of European weavers.*

* Among all the Asiatics none were more remarkable than the Persians for the display of textures of gold as well as every other kind of luxury in dress. A tiara interwoven with gold was among the presents which Xerxes gave as an expression of his gratitude to the citizens of Abdera. (Herod viii. 120.)

At the nuptials of Alexander purple and scarlet cloths, interwoven with gold, were expanded over the guests: and a pall of the same description was placed over the golden sarcophagus made to contain his body. (Chares Ap. Athens, L XII. 9. p. 538. D.)

Publius Syrus in the following fragment preserved by Petronius Arbiter, compares the tail of the peacock to Babylonian stuffs enriched with gold and various colours:

Thy food the peacock, which displays his spotted tail,

As shines a Babylonian shawl with feathered gold.

Shawls interwoven with gold are mentioned by Galen, and by Valerius Flaccus; also by Lucan in the following passage, where he is describing the furniture of Cleopatra's palace, (X. 125, 126.):

Part shines with feathered gold, part sheds a blaze

Of scarlet, intermixed by Pharian looms.