A Visit To A Chinese Silk Factory

the silk-weaviDg streets. We soon en tored them. 1 at once dismouoted to make a careftil observation of their modus operandi for the produotion of tb is renowncd fabrio of oriental looms. All around me was silk, eilk, nothing but silk. In sinall, dark houses, little better than hovels, wore seeu people, cliietïy women, dyeing this delicate textile. Outiide, in little lilthy yards and pig-styes, over the ground where the family swino were wallowing, were placed bamboo polos, whereon were hanging skeins of eolored silk, just from the dye, and glowing with the most vivid hues, as they hung for drying in the sunshino over the loathsome pools below. I visited eeveral of their weaving shops They wero quite similar in their fixtures and arrangements. 1 spent soiqg time in examining one of the largest. Itwas, ferhaps, 100 feet long and about 1G feet wide. The walls were, of coarse, olay block, sun-dried, unpiiirced by a singlo aperture for air or liht, eave a tfce front, whiuh was entirely open tb antire breadth of the building. Th door was simply of trodden clay, un even and untidy. An aisle rau dow the oenter, just wide cnough for ono per son to pass ; on citlier side of this wer ranged the nearest looms, and staudiug as close as they cou'.d bo placed. Two or three persons were employee n work of each loom. The loom are plain-, common-looking aifairs, al .faoat precisoly of the same kind, as to appearaneo and modo of manipulatiOD as were those upon which our grand motbers in Ohio uscd to weave the lin sey-woolsey for the wear of us western boys, when even the preaoher was a atranger to broadcloth. Schattin; r.iy self down by one of these friendly look ing acquaintancos of my boyhood, leisurely watched the delicate and dili gent manipulationa of tho weaver anc big assistants as shuttles flow to and fro in tbe mazy mystcry of figures anc flowera that came gradua'ly out large and plainer npon the glowing surface o the gorgeous fabrio wbieh those skilfu workmen were there ereating under mv eye. So complex wero the movement of the men on these BÏmple-looking ma chines, and so marvclously beautifu were the productB resulting therefrom that I gazed with uubounded amazemen upon this work of silk weaving as H pro gressed before me. The wcather being warm and tho sho crowded, the workmen were almost ca kd. My visit interssted them mani festly, yet not a loom ceascd its clickino olacking noise, not a man left his em ployraent to gaze, but I deteeted them giving furtive glanees and exchangino mutual smiles nmong thctaselves at th curious etranger who had thus uncere moniously gquatted himself down in thei midst, by one of those humblo lookine looms, on a dirt floor, within honiely ciad walls, where, uevertheless, are pro duced those magnificent fabrica whio for ages, and tbroughout tbe world, bav boen the pride of wealth, the envy o beauty, and the admiration and desire o: royalty. Far down, and nearly to th extreme limits of this long room, was a plaia board counter, extendicg quit across the room. Echind it stood th proprietor of the factory, a smooth fced, richly-clad Chinaman. Directly over him the building was unroofed thereby alïording a tpacious skyüght accept this.jwiudows there were none - Throuxjh this skyüght, and down upon the counter below, the sunshine ful 1 up 00 the finished work of this diugy, dirty aqualid-looking workshop. The propii etor was buey measuring off and packing p the products of bis looms. And a the euolight streamed full upon the gorgous oolórs oí those magniücent silks satina, and biocades which the proprie tor was tossiDg about in biüowy radi anoe, it seemed to my eyes, as I stooc far up in the feeblo lightof the centre o the room, na though he wero töwing aod toying with rainbow. From phices o humble and urroundings bo squalk aa tbis coffo thoso rojal fabrics whieh are to decórate palases and to adorn the persons of princes and monarch of the earth. - Cantón, {China) Cor. Cincinnal Commercial,