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a wheel—Loom—Mode of weaving—Forbes's description—Habits and remuneration
of Spinners, Weavers, &c.—Factories of the East India Company—Marvellous
skill of the Indian workman accounted for—Mills's testimony—Principal
Cotton fabrics of India, and where made—Indian commerce in Cotton goods—Alarm
created in the woollen and silk manufacturing districts of Great Britain—Extracts
from publications of the day—Testimony of Daniel De Foe (Author
of Robinson Crusoe.)—Indian fabrics prohibited in England, and most
other countries of Europe—Petition from Calcutta merchants—Present condition
of the City of Dacca—Mode of spinning fine yarns—Tables showing
the comparative prices of Dacca and British manufactured goods of the same
quality 333


PART FOURTH.

ANCIENT HISTORY OF THE LINEN MANUFACTURE.

CHAPTER I.

FLAX.

CULTIVATION AND MANUFACTURE OF FLAX BY THE ANCIENTS—ILLUSTRATIONS
OF THE SCRIPTURES, ETC.

Earliest mention of Flax—Linen manufactures of the Egyptians—Linen worn by
the priests of Isis—Flax grown extensively in Egypt—Flax gathering—Envelopes
of Linen found on Egyptian mummies—Examination of mummy-cloth—Proved
to be Linen—Flax still grown in Egypt—Explanation of terms—Byssus—Reply
to J. R. Forster—Hebrew and Egyptian terms—Flax in North
Africa, Colchis, Babylonia—Flax cultivated in Palestine—Terms for flax and
tow—Cultivation of Flax in Palestine and Asia Minor—In Elis, Etruria, Cisalpine
Gaul, Campania, Spain—Flax of Germany, of the Atrebates, and of the
Franks—Progressive use of linen among the Greeks and Romans 358

CHAPTER II.

HEMP.

Cultivation and Uses of Hemp by the Ancients—Its use limited—Thrace Colchis—Caria—Etymology
of Hemp 387

CHAPTER III.

ASBESTOS.

Uses of Asbestos—Carpasian flax—Still found in Cyprus—Used in funerals—Asbestine-cloth—How
manufactured—Asbestos used for fraud and superstition
by the Romish monks—Relic at Monte Casino 390