tical levers, the top and bottom
catches being worked respectively by the two barrels, and connected
with the ends of the levers. To each of these catches a light blade
spring is attached, which insures them being sprung upon the top of
the knife, and thereby obtaining a certain lift. A series of wooden
jacks or levers are employed, so as to give a varying lift to the
front and back healds, in this way keeping the yarn in even tension,
and preventing slack sheds. The healds are drawn down by means of a
series of levers adjoining one another, and worked by means of a
rocking bar driven from the tappet shaft. When the shed is being
formed, the jacks are pushed down until it is fully open, and the warp
is thus drawn down with the same certainty as the upward movement is
made.--_Industries_.

* * * * *

[UNITED STATES CONSULAR REPORTS. SPECIAL ISSUE NO. 10.]

SULPHUR MINES IN SICILY.

BY PHILLIP CARROLL, U. S. CONSUL, PALERMO.

Sulphur, or brimstone, is a hard, brittle substance of various colors,
from brilliant yellow to dark brown, without smell when cool, of a
mild taste, and burns with a pale blue flame, emitting pungent and
suffocating fumes. Its specific gravity is from 1.9 to 2.1.

Sulphur exists more or less in all known countries, but the island of
Sicily, it is thought, is the only place where it is produced on a
large scale, and consequently that island appears to command the
market. Small quantities have been found in the north of Italy, the
Grecian Archipelago, Russia, Austria, Poland, France, Spain, eastern
shores of Egypt, Tunis, Iceland, Brazil, Central America, and the
United States. Large quantities are said to exist in various countries
of Asia, but it is understood to be impracticable to utilize the same,
consequent upon the distance from any commercial port and the absence
of rail or other roads.

Sulphur is of two kinds, one of which is of volcanic emanation, the
other being closely allied to sedimentary rocks. The latter is found
in Sicily, on the southern and central portions of the island. Mount
Etna, situated in the east, seems to exert no influence in the
formation of brimstone. There are various hypotheses relative to its
natural formation. Dr. Philip Swarzenburg attributes it to the
emanations of sulphur vapor expelled from metallic matter existing in
the earth, consequent upon the fire in the latter, while Professors
Hoffman and Bischoff ascribe i