SILK. A very soft, fine, bright thread, the production of different 'species of caterpillars ; but the bombyx mori, or silk-worm, is chiefly cultivated for this.
purpose; it is a native of China, and the culture of silk, in ancient times, was entirely confined to that country, where, we are told, that the empresses, sur rounded by their women, employed their leisure hours in the rearing of silk, and in the weaving of silk tissues and veils. From China this valuable commodity was first conveyed into Persia; after the conquest of that empire by Alexander the Great it was brought into Greece; from thence it was earned to Rome, where, as we are informed by several historians, it was deemed of such value, as to be commonly sold for its weight in gold. For several centuries, the Persians sup plied the Roman empire with the silk which was brought over-land from China, by tams of caravans traversing the vast continent of Asia in 243 days. Not withstanding an immense trade in silk, which was for a series of ages carried on between the Roman and Persian empires, the knowledge of the silk-worm, or the manner in which silk was produced, remained an important secret with the eastern nations, and was entirely unknown in Europe until the reign of Justinian. At this time, two Persian monks, who were employed as missionaries in some of the Christian churches in India, penetrated into the country of the Seres, or China, where they observed the labours of the milk-worm, and became acquainted with the art of working its productions into a variety of elegant fabrics. Having returned to Constantinople, they explained to the emperor the important discoveries they had made. Encouraged by his liberal proinisee, they undertook to procure a sufficient number of these wonderful insects, to Establish the manufacture in his capital ; which they accomplished by conveying a quan tity of the eggs in the hollow of a cane. Vast numbers of silkworms were soon after reared in different parts of Greece, and the raw silk obtained was wrought into manufactures at Athens, Thebes, drinth, and other places; and the breed. ing of the silk-worms was rapidly extended to Italy and Sicily, with equal anceess. Extensive manufactures were established in many of the towns of these kingdoms, with the Bilk of their own production ; and the demand for the 'eastern silk diminishing in consequence, produced a great change in the cont.
inertial intercourse between India and Europe.
The natural history of the silk-worm forms a subject highly interesting and curious; but the extraordinary changes which the animal undergoes, as well as its manner of spinning its ball or cocoon, having probably fallen under the actual observation of Most of our readers, we shall pass over this part of out subject, and proceed to the business of winding, throwing, and weaving.
In those countries where silk forms an important article of commerce, the cultivators, or those who rear the insects, do not wind of the silk themselves, but sell them to others, who make the operation of reeling a distinct Waimea. The single filament, or thread of silk, as produced by the worm, is of such, extreme tenuity as to be totally unfit for the purposes of the manufacturer. Therefore, in winding it off', several of the cocoons are immerged in warm water, .to soften the guru with which the silk is naturally connected; their several ends are then joined and reeled off together ; and, by the adhesiveness of the gum, are thus formed into one smooth even thread. Wben the thread of any cocoon Lreaks, or comes to an end, its place is supplied by a new one, which is simply said on the main thread, to which it adheres by its gum ; and, i owing to its extreine fineness, it does not occasion the least perceptible unevenness theplace where it is united. In this manlier of joining the separate filaments, a thread may be made of any length.
The apparatus for reeling consists merely of an open kettle of water, under which is a fire to keep it warm ; and the reel is of the common construction. However simple the operation, great care and attention are necessary in reeling, to preserve the thread of an equal thickness, and of a round form, and that the several rounds upon the reel should not get glued together. When the skein is quite dry, it is taken off the reel, and being made up into hanks, it forma the article called, in commerce, raw silk, of which such vast quantities are annually imported into this country from Bengal, China, Italy, and Turkey.