A Dictionary, Practical, Theoretical, and Historical, of Commerce and Commercial Navigation Volume 1 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1852 Excerpt: ...cloves, exclusive of the duty, la the London market, is, at present (October, 1333), as follows: --, Cloths, Oil Op, is procured from cloves by distillation. When new, it is of a pale reddish brown colour, which becomes darker by age. It is extremely hot and fiery, and sinks in water. The kind generally imported from India contains nearly half its weight of an insipid expressed oil, which is discovered by dropping a little into spirits of wine, and on shaking it, the genuine oil mixes with the spirit, and the insipid separating, the fraud is discovered.--(Milburn.) COACHES, vehicles for commodious travelling. They have sometimes two and sometimes four wheels. The body of the coach is generally suspended, by means of springs, upon the framework to which the wheels are attached. They are usually drawn by horses, but recently have been impelled by steam. The forms and varieties of coaches are almost innumerable. 1. Historical Notice.--Bcckmann has investigated the early history of coaches with his usual care and learning. It is certain that a species of coaches were used at Rome; but whether they were hung on springs, like those now made use of, is not certain. After tha subversion of the Roman power, horseback was almost the only mode of travelling. About the end of the fifteenth century, however, covered carriages began to be employed by persona of distinction on great occasions. In 1550, there were at Paris only three coaches: one of which belonged to the queen; another to the celebrated Diana of Poitiers; and the third to a corpulent, unwieldy nobleman, Rene de Laval, lord of Bois Dauphin. Coaches were seen, for the first time, in Spain, in 1546. They began to be used in England about 1580; and were in common use among the nobility in the beginning of the s..