soles, hose–pipes, straps, harness, et cetera,
while the thinner and more delicate could be
coloured of any tint desired, and worked and
tooled so as to entirely resemble leather.
This was the beginning of the artificial
leather with which the commercial world has
been so fully supplied of late. Mr. Hancock
pushed this application to all kinds of uses;
and he notes with pride that one of the first
of the strong straps given out for steam
machinery was used by Brunel in sinking
the shaft for the Thames Tunnel. These are
little historic triumphs pleasant to the
inventor's soul. Air–beds and air–cushions had
been made for some time; but all in a simple
shape as a mere square or bag inflated and
fastened. As beds, these bags were not
satisfactory. They were too elastic and
always ended by rolling their occupants out
on to the floor. The same with the cushions,
which made the sitter like a parched pea on
a drum–head. And, with all their elasticity,
allowed of no repose. The thing, though so
much needed, was evidently a failure, when
a lucky thought came into the father's mind,
and, as is usual with lucky thoughts, changed
the failure to a success. The beds and
cushions and seats were divided into
compartments, each compartment being a
separate little air–chamber, at the first stitched
down between the divisions, but afterwards,
as at present, made by glueing together the
two pieces of cloth with the proper number
of channels. Thus the most perfect elasticity
was obtained, while the hostile excess was
weakened and broken. They were called
reeded; and air–beds and cushions of this
reeded form were used by George the Fourth
in his last illness, which doubtless hallows
them to the minds of many reverent of royal
fashions.

The tailors were thorns in the sides of the
inventors of waterproof garments. Indifferent
to the admonitions of the manufacturers,
they would persist in making up tight coats
and well–fitting surtouts, and would accept
none of the physiological reasons which made
it necessary to have a waterproof garment as
loose and large as possible. Also in the
matter of the seaming and stitching they
were obstinate and stupid, and sent out, as
waterproof, coats and capes punctured in
every seam with innumerable needle–holes
which let in the rain as if through a minute
colander. They were offended when told to
send back their work to the manufactory to
have the seams lined and made proof; and
some of them, to show their skill and superior
knowledge—also to make good and sure work
—actually put in a double row of stitching
down all the seams. So that the firm, getting
tired of such a wearisome controversy, and
feeling that the character of their goods and
consequent spread of their trade, depended
on a more intelligent treatment, opened retail
shops, where they made up their own goods,
and where they had several skirmishes even
with their best workmen, who would still
persist in pinning their work like ordinary
cloths.

The end of these tailoring troubles was not
seen yet. Though the inside of the seam was
proofed, the tailor's thread took up the moisture
on the outside, and, by capillary attraction,
conveyed it to all the threads of the
inner cloth of the macintosh. However, all
these difficulties were conquered by degrees;
and when the Duke of York wore a blue
cloth waterproof military cloak, lined with
crimson silk, and the Guards adopted drab
cambric capes (waterproof as well) the public
took up the fashion, and macintoshes became
an institution. But then followed
disappointments and ill–fame because of the
defective quality of certain pieces of cloth which
decomposed and would not wear. These
were woollen cloths, waterproofed; and after
much trouble it was found that they had not
been sufficiently cleansed from grease—grease
being of all things the most fatal to the
longevity of caoutchouc. Above nine hundred
pounds' worth of goods were discovered so
decomposing; and the firm got damages
against its disobedient weavers. Then the
railways superseded the necessity which
mail–coach travellers had had of defending
themselves against the weather; and the
doctors, who had always raved against wet
skins and exposure as the two greatest
sources of disease, suddenly found that
waterproofs were even more injurious; raised a cry
and created a panic; and, under all these
hindrances, the trade came to a considerable
halt.

Hancock and Macintosh had been united
in business for some time, though not yet
actually partners; still, it was all a joint
concern now, and whatever new applications
of the manufacture were made, belonged as
much to one as to the other. They made the
beautiful india–rubber balls covered with silk
netting, so dear to our chubby–fisted babies
in the nursery; they made surgical instruments,
and no end of hose–pipes—which paid
them better than babies' balls or fancy–work.
Their hose–pipes were at last introduced into
breweries, but found to give a bad taste to
the beer, and on the point of being abandoned.
However, on allowing the waste liquor to
run through them for some time, they lost
their peculiar caoutchouc flavour, and
eighteen hundred feet of rubber hose pipe
were employed in Barclay's brewery alone.
Then they took to making shoes—the
American over–shoes not having yet appeared;
and then Government had a few trifles of
them; such as waterproof calico for covering
cartridges, and saddle water–decks for
throwing over the saddle when the soldier
had dismounted. This was the sum and
substance of Government patronage up to
this time.

In eighteen hundred and twenty–eight
machinery and material were taken over to