J a p a n n in g .
S i l k .
Mulberry
T r e e s .
T h e works in japan or varnifh, are very confiderable in this
empire, hut do not equal thofe made in Japan itfelf. The beft is
that of Tonking and Nanking; the varnifh is produced from the
Rbus-vernix, which the Chinefe call *fji. It is the fame with that
I have defcrihed at p.. 72 of this volume. The procefs in colledting
it is the fame, and the workmen are affected with the fame difeafes
in the operation; I therefore will not repeat what I have before
mentioned.
T h e very important article of filk fhall next be fpoken of. In
my account of Spain will be given the hiftory o f the origin of
this manufadture, and the various, countries it paffed through in
its way from China, its native feat. The care o f the filk-worm
was o f the moft early date ; it was begun by Si-ling, one of the
queens o f Whang-ti, third emperor from Forbi, at the period in
which his fubjedts Hill clothed themfelves in the undrefled ikins
o f wild beafts; how furprifing was the change for the luxurious
habit of filk. Succeeding emprefles followed her example; they
went attended by their fair fuite to the orchard of mulberry
trees, gathered the leaves of three trees, either with their own
hands, or by the hands of the ladies under their infpection. A
piece of the fineft filk was woven and devoted to the ceremony o f
the facrifice to the Shang-P’i, or the Supreme Being. More policy
than religion is intermixed with this facrifice ; the wife Chinese
knew that they could not inforce too ftrongly the cultivation of
' a tree which feeds the great ftaple o f the empire.
The Chinefe have two trees which contribute to this purpofe ;
the one is the Sang or 1’e-fang, the Morus Alba or white mulberry
tree, fo well known in the fouth of Europe • this is cultivated
vated in plantations. The other kind is the Che, or Te-fang,
the wild mulberry, which grows on the hills in forells, has
fmall roundifh rough leaves fcalloped on the edges, and terminating
in a point; the branches thorny ; the fruit like pepper;
in a few words a tree o f a diftindt fpecies, i f not genus, from the
former. On thefe trees, the young o f the filkworms which are
hatched, are laid. The filk, produced from them, is faid to be
ftronger and earlier than from thofe bred on the common mulberry.
Paths are cut among the forefts o f the Che, the ground is
cleared o f weeds which may give fhelter to ferpents that devour
the worms ; and perfons watch with guns to deftroy the birds
that make them their- food; thefe trees are alfo cultivated in
fome places like the white mulberry.
I sh a l l make mention of a fpecies o f filk totally different in
its origin from the preceding ; this is defcribed by Du Halde *,
who fays it is made by certain worms in the province of Sbang-
tong. It is not fabricated by them into Cocons, but left adhering
to fmall trees or fit rubs in form of very long threads, which are
gathered and woven into a coarfe filk, called Kien chew, a very
thick, lafting fort, which waihes well, and is in much efteem with
the Chinefe.
T h i s account certainly vindicates the opinion held by the
ancients that filk was an article combed from the leaves o f certain
trees. “ Primi funt hominuni' fays Pliny (fpeaking o f the
Scytharum Gen. lib. vi. c. xvii.) “ qui nofcantur Seres, lanicio
“ fytvarum nobiles, perfufam aqua depeBentes frondium cani-
“ t i emV i rg i l delivers the fame notion, .
Velleraque ut foliis depedant tenuia Seres.
* voi: ¡. 354.
P i The
S i l k o f P l in y .