Fig. 2.—Separation of the Worms about to spin.
A peculiar luster of the worm's belly
Is a sign that it is about to change,
And that its mouth will spin us its silk.
Madam busies herself in preparing its bed,
And lays it on the straw, that nothing may soil
The immaculate thread which itself fixes.
method of manufacturing are so well known that it is not necessary to relate them in detail in this short address; but I must remark upon one feature which, I believe, exists nowhere but
have ceased to perform their digestive functions must be carefully separated from those which continue eating. This duty, which requires experience, devolves upon the matrons, while the fabrication of the thread is assigned to the young women. But the separation is hardly as absolute as is assumed by the poet. It may be seen from our figures that the Chinese women, in preparing the silk fiber, use extremely rudimentary processes; but it must be remembered that manual labor is very cheap among the Celestials, and that, consequently, they have few inducements for economizing. The people, men and women, are assiduous workers, and make available instruments so rude that Westerners would find it very hard to use them at all. Only the culture of the domestic silk-worm is described in the treatise of the Emperor Kang-Hi, while the less precious though useful fiber of the wild worm is prepared in a quite different manner.
