Page 151 - Third Book of Reading Lessons

150 THIRD BOOK OF
Roman naturalist. The thick part of the stalk being cut in two, the pellicle between the pith and bark, or perhaps the two pellicles, were stripped o and di­ vided by an iron instrument. This was squared at the sides, so as to be like a riband, then laid upon a smooth table, after being cut into proper lengths. These strips or ribands were lapped over each other by a very thin border, and then pieces of the same kind were laid transversely, the length of,these last answering to the breadth of the rst. This being done, a weight was laid upon them while they were yet moist; they were then dried in the sun. It was thought that the water of the Nile had a gummy quality su ciently strong to glue these strips to­ gether; but Mr. Bruce, who ascertained by experi­ ment that this opinion is per ctly groundless, sug­ gests that the e ect was produced by means of the saccharine matter with which the papyrus is strongly impregnated. The ower of this plant, it is well known, was used r religious purposes.
CABINET LIBRARY.
LESSON XIX.
MANUFACTURE OF TAPE.
PROCESS (pros'-ses), n., regular and gradual course; methodical man­ agement of anything. F. proces, om ce , L., I go, I advance. CoT1To , n., the down of the cotton-tree :-cloth made of cotton. F.
and S. colon; I. cotone,-so called from its resemblance to the down which adhert;S to the quince :-I. cotogni; L, cotoneu , a quince.
APPARA1Tus, n., things prepared or provided ( r lapping, &c.) col­ lectively. L. apparatus, fn;m paro, I make ready.
EQ ABLE (e'-kwa-bl), a., even, regular, uni rm. •L. quus, om eikos, G., like, similar.
8Ys1TEM, n., an orderly collection, or a connected series of dependent