HAT
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HAT
the Canons: But thefe were no other than a Kind of Caps ; and 'twas from hence arofe the fquare Caps wore in Colleges, %$c. See Cap.
Lobineeu obferves, that a Bifhop of 2)ol, in the XII th Century, zealous for good Order, allow'd the Canons alone to wear fuch Hats; enjoyning, that if any other Perfon ihould come with them to Church, Divine Service fhould immediately Hand frill. 'it. I. p. 845.
Hats make a very confiderable Article in Commerce. — ■ The finefi, and thofe moll valued, are made of the pure Hair of an amphibious Animal, call'd Caftor, or 'Beaver, frequent in Canada, and other Provinces 01 North America. See Castor.
Method of malting Hats.
Hats, we have obferved, are made either of Wool, or of Hair of divers Animals, particularly the Caftor, Hare, Coney, Camel, iSc. The Procefs is much the fame in all ; for which Reafon wc mall content our felves to inftance in that of Caftors.
The Skin of this Animal is fet with two Kinds of Hair ; the one long, ftiff, gloffy, and pretty fcarce; this being what renders the Skin, or Fur, oi fo much Value. 1 See Fur. The other Ihort, thick, and foft; which alone is ufed in Hats.
To tear off one of thefe Kinds of Hair, and cut the other, the Hatters, or rather the Women imploy'd for that Purpofc, make Life of two Knives, a large one like a Shoe- maker's Knife, for the long Hair 5 and a fmaller, not unlike a Vine-Knife, wherewith they lliave, or fcrape off the fhorter Hair.
When the Hair is off, they mix the Stuff; to one third of dry Caftor, putting two thirds of Old Coat; i.e. Hair which has been wore fome Time by the Savages; and card the whole with Cards, like thofe ufed in the Woollen Ma- nufactory, only finer. This done, they weigh it, and tike more or lefs, according to the Size or Thicknefs of the Hat intended. ' — The Stuff is now laid on the Hurdle, which is a Square Table, parallel to the Horizon, having longi- tudinal Chinks cut thro' it. On this Hurdle, with an In- strument call'd a Bozv, much rcfembling that of a Violin, but larger ; whofe String is work'd with a little Bow-ftick, and thus made to play on the Furs ; they fly and mix them together, the Duft and Filth at the fame Time palling thro' the Chinks. This they reckon one of the moft difficult Operations in the whole; by Reafon of the Juftnefs required in the Hand to make the Stuff fall precifely together, and that it may be every where of the fame Thicknefs. ■ — In I.ieu of a Bow, fome Hatters make ufe of a Sieve, or Scarce of Hair, thro' which they pafs the Stuff.
After this Manner they form Gores or two Capades, of an Oval Form, ending in an acute Angle a-top. ■ — And with what Stuff remains, they fupply and ilrength- en them in Places where they happen to be tlcnderer than ordinary. — Tho' it is to be remember'd, that they defignedly make them thicker in the Brim, near the Crown, than towards the Circumference, or in the Crown it felf.
The Capades thus finiili'd, they go on to harden them into clofer, more confiftent Flakes, by preffing down a hardening Skin, or Leather thereon. — ' This done, they are carried to the Safin, which is a Sort of Bench wirh an Iron Plate fitted therein, and a little Fire underneath it ; upon which laying one of ' the harden'd Capades, fprinkled over with Water ; and a Sort of Mould ap- plied thereon ; the Heat of the Fire, with the Water and preffing, imbody the Stuff into a {light hairy Sort of Stuff, or Felt : After which, turning up the Edges all around over the Mould, they lay it by ; and thus pro- ceed to the other. — This finifti'd, the two are next ioin'cl together, fo as to meet in an Angle a-top, and only form one Conical Cap, after the Manner of a Afanica Hippocrates.
The Hat thus bafon'd, they remove it to a large Kind of Receiver, or Trough, refcmbling a Mill-hopper, going Hoping, or narrowing down from the Edge, or Rim, to the Bottom, which is a Copper Kettle, fiii'd with Water and Grounds, kept hot for the Purpofe. — On the Dcfccnt, or Hoping Side, call'd the 'Plank, the Bafon'd Hat, being firft dipt in the Kettle, is laid. — ■ And here they proceed to work it, by rolling and unrolling it again and again, one Part after another, firft with the Hand, and then with a little wooden Roller ; taking Care to dip it from Time to Time : till at length by thus fulling and thickening it, four or five Hours, it is reduced to the Extent, or Di- menfions of. the Hat intended. — To fecure the Hands from being injured by this frequent Rolling, &c. they ufually guard them with a Sort of thick Gloves.
The Hat thus wrought, they proceed to give it the proper Form ; which is done by laying the conical Cap on a Wooden "Block, of the intended Size of the Crown ot the
Hat ; and thus tying it tound with a Pack-Thread call'd a Commander : After which, with a Piece of Iron, or Cop- per, bent for the Purpofe, and call'd a Stamper, they gra- dually beat or drive down the Commander all around, til! it has reach'd the Bottom of the Block ; and thus is the Crown form'd ; what remains at Bottom below the String being the Brim.
The Hat being now fet to dry ; they proceed to fings it, by holding it over a Flair of Straw, or the like ; then it is pounced or rubbed with Pumice, to take off the coarfer Nap ; then rubbed over afreih with Seal-Skin, to lay the Nap ftill finer ; and Iaftly, carded with a fine Card, to raife the fine Cotton, with which the Hat is af- terwards to appear.
Things thus far advanced, the Hat is fent, upon its Block, and tyed about with Pack-Thread as before, to be dyed. — The Dyer's Copper is ufually very large, holding 10 or 12 Dozen Hats. The Dye, or Tincfure, is made ot Logwood, Verdegreafe, Copperas, and Alder Sark ; to which fome add Galls and Sumac. See Dving.
Here the Hat is kept boiling for about three Quarters of an Hour ; then taken out and fet to cool, and then rcturn'd to the Dye ; and this for 10 or a Times fucceffively. The Dye being compleat, the Hat is return'd to the Hatter, who proceeds to dry it, by hanging it in the Top, or Roof, of a Stove or Oven ; at the' Bottom of which is a Charcoal Fire. — When dry, it is to be ftiffned, which is done with melted glue, or Gum Senek, applied thereon by firft fmearing it, and beating it over wirh a Brulh, and then rubbing it with the Hand. — The next Thing is to fleam it, on the Steaming Safin, which is a little Hearth, or Fire Place, rais'd three Foot high, with an Iron Plate laid over it, -exaftly covering the Hearth. On this Plate they firft fprcad Cloths, which being fprin- klcd over with Water to fceure the Hat from Burning, tho Hat is placed, Brim downwards, thereon. When moderately hot, the Workman ftrikes gently on the Brim, with the Flat of his Hand, to make the Jointings incorporate and bind, fo as not to appear ; turning it from Time to Time, this Way and that Way, and at laft overturning and fet- ting it on the Crown.
When fteam'd fufficiently, and dried, they put it again on the Block, brulh and iron' ir on a Table, or Bench for the Purpofe, call'd the Stall-Soard. This they per- form with a Sort of Irons like thofe commonly ufed in Ironing I.inncn, and heated like them ; which being rubb'd over and over each Part of the Hat, with the Afliitance of the Bruih, fmoothens and gives it a Glofs, which is the laft Operation; nothing now remaining but to clip the Edges even with Sciffars, and few a Dining into the Crown.
Hat, is alfo figuratively ufed for the Dignity of a Car- dinal, or a Promotion to the Dignity. See Cardinal.
In this Scnfe they fay, To expect the Hat ; claim, or have Pretentions to the Hat, &c.
Pope Innocent IV. firft made the Hat the Symbol, or Cognizance of the Cardinals ; injoyning them to wear a Red Hat, at all Ceremonies and Proceffions, as a Token of their being ready to fpill their Blood for Jefus Chrift.
Hat, in Heraldry. See Chapeau.
HATCHES, in a Ship, arc Doors in the Mid-Ihip, or between the Main-maft, or Fore-maft ; by which any Goods of Bulk are let down into the Hold.
Hence, the Hatch-Way is that Place directly over the Hatches ; fo that to lay a Thing into the Hatch-Way, is to put it fo that the Hatches cannot be come at, or opened.
Hatches, are alfo_ Flood-Gates, fet in a River, tSc. to flop the Current ot the Water.
The Word is particularly ufed for certain Dams, or Mounds, made of Rubbi/h, Clay, or Earth, to prevent the Water that iffues from the Stream-Works, and Tin- Walhers in Carnival, from running into the frclh Rivers See Tin.
The Tenants of Br/lyfloke, and other Mannors, are bound to do certain Days Works to the Hatches.
HATCHING, the Aft whereby foecundated Eags, after feafonable Incubation, exclude their young. See Egg and Incubation.
Hatching, with Refpect to the Oviparous Tribe, amounts to the fame as Parturition, or Delivery, in the Viviparous. See Delivery, &c.
The Oftrich is faid to lay her Eggs in the Sand ; and that the Heat of the Sun does the Oificc of a parent Animal, and hatches them.
In Egypt, they hatch their Chickens by the Heat of an Oven : The Method whereof is given us by Mr. Greaves, in the Thilofiphical TranfaHions, N°. 1 1 7.
They have Floufes, it fecms, built for the Purpofe ; having a long Entrance, on each Side whereof are 12 or 14 Ovens, whofe Bottoms and Sides are form'd of Sun
dried
