weight attached to the frame of the loom, and suspended over the yarn-roll to produce, by the friction of its cord, the requisite tension of the threads of the warp; DE are treadles, on which the weaver presses his feet alternately; and, as the treadle D is attached to the heddle* or harness d d, while the other treadle E is attached to the heddle e e, it will be evident that the depression of each treadle will correspondingly influence the position of its heddle. The two heddles d d and e e are each formed of two horizontal sticks, connected through their whole extent by numerous small cords of an equal length; and the two heddles are so united by a rope and pulley, as shown in the drawing, or by any other convenient apparatus, that the depression of one must cause the raising of the other. These heddles, which are commonly called the harness of the loom, are furnished with loops at the points where they will be intersected by the warp, each individual thread of which is passed, in regular succession, through the cords of one or other of the heddles, so that each alternate thread of the warp is passed through the loops of the one heddle, while the intermediate threads are passed between the cords of that one, and through the loops of the other heddles. It is now evident that the depression of the heddle d d, by means of the treadle D, will cause the depression of all the threads of the warp which pass through its loops, and at the same time will raise the heddle e e, together with all the intermediate threads of the warp which pass through its loops, leaving, between the two divisions of threads, a space of about two or three inches, which is called the shed, for the passage of the shuttle. A modern improvement substitutes for the loops small metallic eyes, through which the warp threads are passed, and by this means the wearing of the threads is in some measure avoided these eyes are called mails. The frame F G G H is called the batten or lay, and for greater clearness is shown by a separate drawing.

This batten is suspended by its bar F from the upper framing of the loom in such a manner that it will swing to and fro as on a centre of motion. A shelf, called the shuttlerace, is formed by making the bottom bar H broader than the side rails GG, so that it projects about an inch and a half beyond them on the side furthest from the breast-roll. The

*This part of the apparatus is known in some parts of the country by the name of Healds, in other places, as in London, the weaver uses the distinc tive name of Lames, but as that of Heddle appears to be most generally ap plied, the latter name will be used preferably in this volume.

ends of this shuttle-race are prolonged by boards, which form troughs or boxes I I, in each of which is placed a piece of wood or thick leather, K K, called a pecker or driver, and these drivers are made to traverse on small guide wires fixed between the side rails G G and the ends of the troughs I L The drivers are united by a slack string fastened to each, and meeting at the handle j. L is the reed which is composed sometimes of small portions of split reeds or canes, but most frequently of flattened steel or brass wires. These are

fixed, like the teeth of a comb, in a frame which rests upon the shuttle-race H, and the threads of the warp are passed through the interstitial spaces of the reed. These are covered by a top piece, having a longitudinal groove along its lower side, and which is called the lay-cap. M M (fig. 11.) are cylindrical bars of wood made smooth, which are placed horizontally between the alternate threads of the warp, to prevent their becoming by any means entangled. Sometimes three of these sticks are used, and then one of them is inserted in the shed and drawn to its proper station, while the threads of the warp are actuated by one treadle, and the other two are introduced when the other treadle is depressed. By this means a longitudinal crossing of the threads of the warp is effected which renders them still less liable to entanglement. N is the weaver's seat, and being hung by rounded ends, resting in corresponding brackets fixed to the framing, the position of this seat accommodates itself to the convenience of the weaver in the different movements of his labor.

It must be lifted out when the weaver either takes or quits his seat at the loom, and can be readily replaced.

The operation of warping is one which must be performed with careful accuracy, as an uniform tension of each thread of the warp is essential to the perfection of woven fabrics. Some conception may be formed of the carefulness required in this part of the weaver's labor, when it is considered that a piece of fine silk, whose width is not greater than twenty inches, frequently has the breadth of its warp made up of more than eight thousand threads, each one of which must be so accurately disposed in its proper station as to avoid entanglement or confusion throughout its whole extent. In former times this operation was effected by extending the threads at length in a field, in which manner it is still performed in China, and by the native weavers in India. It was a considerable improvement when, instead of this tedious process, a frame was employed on which the threads were extended and wound backwards and forwards over pegs. This mode, however, was still very tedious, and therefore expensive, besides requiring a ceaseless vigilance on the part of the persons employed to preserve the regularity of the threads. To meet these evils, the warping machine, which will now be described, was invented.

It consists of a tressel, upon which are placed a number of bobbins: these are arranged in rows; and it is usual to wind together the contents of forty-six bobbins. The thread from each of these is drawn over a wire, and passed through a perforated piece of wood, whence the threads are conducted altogether to a large reel. This is supported in a frame, and it turns by means of a fixed pulley placed at the lower extremity of its vertical axis, whence an endless band passes to the groove of a horizontal wheel, which is fixed to a spindle and turned by a handle. A child seated upon a stool (to which the horizontal wheel is fixed) gives motion to this wheel, and sets the whole in action, drawing the threads from the bobbins, and transferring them, assembled together, to the warping machine. In order to distribute the warp over the reel, the perforated piece of wood is so attached to an upright post of the frame, as to slide freely upon it, and being suspended to the spindle by a cord, which passes over a pulley, the rotations of the spindle by winding upon itself and therefore shortening this cord raise the piece of wood so as to distribute the warp evenly, in a spiral form, over the surface of the reel, without one part lapping upon another.

When the requisite length is reeled off the bobbins, the threads are tied together and cut.

The warp is now composed of threads of an equal length, and when drawn from the reel is wound into the form of a ball in readiness for the cane spreader or turner on to fix, or mount it in the loom. As the warp is required to be of a greater length than the reel contains when one spiral has been wound upon its surface, the threads are then turned over studs placed at the top and bottom of the reel for that purpose; and a reverse motion being given to the reel, the wooden piece sinks gradually by the unwinding of its spindle, The threads are then delivered from the bobbins, and laid off in a descending spiral upon the reel; and this operation may be again reversed and repeated until a sufficient length of warp is obtained.

In mounting the loom, that is, in fixing the warp preparatory to the commencement of actual weaving, the first operation is to roll regularly upon the beam, or yarn-roll, the different portions of warp threads thus brought together, and which are known by the weavers as portees, and this is called beaming. To effect this, two or more persons must be employed. The instrument used for the purpose of guiding the threads of the warp, and of spreading them regularly upon the yarn-roll, is called a separator, or ravel, and is, in form, very similar to the reed already described, being made of a number of shreds of cane, or of wire fastened together in a rail of wood, in the shape of a comb. These ravels are made of different dimensions to suit different descriptions of work. Between these teeth, or reeds, the threads of the warp are placed, and are there confined by a top-piece similar to the lay-cap of the reed, and which in this case is called the cape. The threads of the warp being separated and guided by means of the ravel, one or two persons keep the threads at their proper degree of tension, while another winds them on the yarn-roll, by turning it on its centre.

The next process is drawing, or entering, which is passing each thread of the warp regularly through its appropriate loop in the heddle. To effect this, the weaver places himself in front of the heddles; and opening the following loop of each heddle in succession, takes the threads from a person standing behind the heddles, whose business it is to select and deliver them in their proper order, when they are drawn through the loops. The warp thus drawn through the heddles is passed through the interstitial spaces of the reed by the assistance of a small hook, called a sley, several

threads, according to the texture of the goods, being passed through each interval of the reed, but an equal number of threads being inserted between each opening, with the exception of the twelve outer or marginal dents or wires, through which an increased number of threads are passed, in order to form the selvage of the goods. The reed is then placed in the lay or batten; the ends of the warp threads are knotted together in several portions, which are tied to a shaft, and this being connected by cords to the cloth-beam, and the threads being stretched, the warp is ready for weaving. The weaver, whenever able to do so, simplifies this operation of drawing or entering, by connecting the threads of his new warp, or cane, with the threads of the warp just on the point of being finished. This, of course, saves the labor of passing the new threads through the mails and the dents of the reed, since they must then follow regularly those to which they are attached. To distinguish it from the original entering of the warp through the heddles, the weavers give the name of twisting on to this expedient, which saves them seven eighths of the expense they must otherwise incur in mounting the loom.

The shuttle is formed from a piece of boxwood, varying in length from three to six inches, and is pointed at each end: Fig. 13.

it has in its upper side an oblong cavity, for the purpose of receiving a hollow cane, which, however, is always called a quill, probably because quills may have been usually employed in former days for this purpose; upon this the silk to be used in forming the shoot is wound; a metal wire being passed through the hollow of the quill forms its axis, about which it must revolve freely when inserted in the shuttle.

The quantity of silk wound upon each of these quills is necessarily but small, and their frequent renewal is indispensable. For this purpose the shuttle has in its cavity two small holes, one in the centre of each end, for the insertion of the points of this axis. One of these holes has a spring concealed within it, which, by its compression, allows of the insertion of one end of the wire to a depth sufficient for admitting the other end to enter the opposite hole; and when this is so inserted, the spring prevents its spontaneous with