Tar

“ But these jests, and others of a similar nature, had evidently produced, at no time, any effect upon the leaden muscles of the tar. With high cheek-bones, a large hawk-nose, retreating chin, fallen under-jaw, and huge protruding white eyes, the expression of his countenance, although tinged with a species of dogged indifference to matters and things in general, was not the less utterly solemn and serious beyond all attempts at imitation or description. ”

“ Tar is a product of the trees of this kind, especially of one species, called the pitch-pine. The wood is burnt in a sort of oven made in the earth, and the resinous juice sweats out, and acquires a peculiar taste and a black colour from the fire. ”

“ Tar in its primitive condition has been used, as every one is aware, for painting or tarring a variety of objects, such as barges and palings, in fact, as a kind of protection to the object covered from the ravages of insects or worms, or to prevent corrosion when applied to metal piers. ”

“ Occasionally a grand excitement was caused by the rolling past of a lighted tar-barrel, which illuminated the whole street, its attendant youths, many of whom were dressed like demons, looking in their black masks and asses’ ears more like fiends than men as they lashed their blazing barrels with their torches, sending the sparks far and wide. ”

“ On the rock alongside a small fire burned and the smell of tar pervaded the air.
Pierre Gotro and his daughter, and their servant, old Suzanne, moved quickly among the seaweed, and with small forks were busy loading the carts with dulse. ”

“ Meanwhile our stuff was portaged, and without difficulty the empty canoes run down to the foot of the rapids, where camp was made. Just at this place commence the wonderful tar sand-beds of the Athabasca, extending over an enormous area. These certainly present a very striking appearance. During warm weather, in many places, the faces [37] of the river banks, from three to five hundred feet in height, presents the appearance of running tar, and here and there tar wells are found, having been formed by the accumulation of the viscid tar in natural receptacles of the rock. ”

“ The tender nerves and low spirits of such poor creatures would be much relieved by the use of Tar Water, which might prolong and cheer their lives." "It [the Tar Water] may be made stronger for brute beasts, as horses, in whose disorders I have found it very useful." "This same water will also give charitable relief to the ladies, who often want it more than the parish poor; being many of them never able to make a good meal, and sitting pale, puny, and forbidden, like ghosts, at their own table, victims of vapors and indigestion." ”

“ Tar, when mixed with verdigris, or finely powdered blue, or white vitriol, forms a good liniment or ointment for canker or thrushes. It may be occasionally employed also with alum. Tar is an excellent stopping for flat thin soles, mixed with tallow: in the latter form it makes a good hoof ointment, and when rubbed about the coronet and hoof, is said to render the hoof tough.—White. ”

“ Small mammals, birds, or insects running into the soft tar are very quickly rendered helpless by the gummy mass, which binds their feet, and in their struggles soon reaches every part of the body. Around the borders of the pools the tar slowly hardens by the evaporation of the lighter constituents until it becomes as solid as an asphalt pavement. ”

“ Hales on the benefit of Tar-water in Fevers, for cattle as well as the human species,' which had appeared earlier in the same year; the last of his writings, 'Further Thoughts on Tar-water,' published in Berkeley's ' Miscellany ' of 1752, contains medical observations, and instructions for its use. It is good, as he says here, not only in fevers, diseases of the lungs, cancers, scrofula, throat diseases, apoplexies, chronic disorders of all kinds, but also as a general drink for infants. It strengthens their bodies and sharpens their intellects. It is good for cattle ”

“ From the dead trees he extracts tar, obtained by burning the wood upon a grate, a kettle being placed beneath to receive the boiling liquid. Sometimes from the plants which he clears away from around his house, he obtains a considerable quantity of potash, which still augments his wealth. ”

“ Tar′trāte, a salt of tartaric acid.—Tartar emetic, a compound of potassium and antimony.—Cream of tartar (see Cream) . [Fr. tartre—Low L. tartarum—Ar. durd, dregs.]
Tartar, tär′tar, n. a native of Tartary in Asia: an irritable person, or one too strong for his assailant.
Tartarus, tär′ta-rus, n. the lower world generally, but esp. the place of punishment for the wicked, according to Homer, a deep and sunless abyss, as far below Hades as earth is below heaven, and closed in by iron gates— (Shak.) Tar′tar: (Spens.) Tar′tary.—adj. Tartā′rean. ”

“ The little hardy tar, who had so often braved the changes of climate, seemed of the two least affected by the scorching rays that now poured so heavily upon their persons, and 420commenced fighting with great spirit. ”

“ His horse was really little more than a skeleton, and the load was two barrels of tar. In the sleigh I saw reeds and swamp-grass, evidently the horse’s food, and very likely for the same purpose was a sack filled with straw, which was placed on top of the tar barrels and stuck out over the front. In addition, in the sleigh, there was a small birch-bark basket which probably held food for the man. ”

“ Tocktamish has cleared the house as the thunderstorm clears the hot air from the valley! Drink, my pretty nightingale, and the golden wine shall warm your speech in your little throat, as the morning sunshine melts the icicles in my beard when I have been hunting all night in winter! Drink, my fawn, my spring lamb, my soft wood-pigeon, my white bunny rabbit! Drink, sweet one!'
The Tartar's similes were in hopeless confusion, possibly because he translated them into Greek, but he was convinced that he was eloquent, and he was undeniably as strong as a bear. ”

“ For since it is the nature of Tartar to make the water wherein ’tis diluted hotter than fire, and since there is much Tartar in the dregs, by virtue of which, water acquires a more intense degree of heat, which the ignorant Hatters ascribe to the limosity of dregs, rather to be attributed to the inherent Tartar, hence they put so much dregs in every pot as they know to be needful to the constipation of the wool. ”

“ There he stood and faced them; and though the arrows showered upon him, and blood was flowing fast down the flanks of Tarrad, he spoke and moved not, but sat still, like a horseman carved in stone in the gap. ”

“ For a stony matter, as sand, flint, bole, &c. being mixed with salt of tartar, feeling the heat of the fire, and being made red with the same, is joyned to it most closely, so as no spirit can be drawn from thence, but become a most hard stone. For sand, and such things that are like to it, have so great an affinity with the salt of tartar, that being once united can scarce ever be separated. ”

“ The tarboy, the cook and the skushy, the sweeper that swept the board,
The picker-up, and the penner, with the rest of the shearing horde.
There were men from the inland stations where the skies like a furnace glow,
And men from Snowy River, the land of frozen snow ”

“ The High German form Zehr is recorded in the Modern High German period in Hessian. These cognates meaning ‘tar’ are old derivatives of a Teutonic word trewo-, ‘tree’ (compare Gothic triu, English tree) , which is based upon Aryan derw-, dorw- (dru) , ‘tree, wood’; compare Greek δρῦς, ‘oak’ (δόρυ, ‘spear’) , Old Slovenian drěvo, ‘tree, wood,’ and the equivalent Sanscrit dâru (dru) ; see also Trog. Teer means literally ‘the thick oil from trees’ (especially from resinous pine-trees?) ”

“ So Nature agrees to force his sensibility and intelligence, on the one hand, to the utmost pitch, leaving him, on the other, an uncultivated and ungregarious tract where he can run wild and renew his forces and remain unspoilt.
Tarr, in his analysis of the anomalies of taste, gives the key to a crowd of other variants and twists to which most of the misunderstandings and stupidities in the deciphering of men are due. ”

“ A Tartar having an hour to rest, prefers a bath to sleep. He enters as if drugged with opium, and leaves it, his senses cleared, and his strength restored as much as if he had slept for several hours. This is not to be attributed to the heat or moisture alone, but to the shampooing, which in such cases is of an extraordinary nature. The Tartar sits down and doubles himself up; the shampooer (and [140] he selects the most powerful man) then springs with his feet on his shoulders, cracking his vertebræ ”

“ One which is very important, Tartar is one of the subjects, where those who practise in the fire, do find so many blows to cast. Take of this Tartar beaten into small powder and put it in a leaded earthen pot with clear fountain [Pg 55] water, upon a Trevet or furnace, making it boil easily and scum the villainies and filthinesse off with a feather: the silver Crusts that shall afterwards arise, gather them with a head of Glasse, where these grosse moules destang, of mudd, so long till they rise no more, renewing the water by measure when it comes to diminish. ”

“ His illustrations of Tartar life are especially graphic and amusing. Here is a specimen. “When not on horseback, a Tartar is generally quite idle, and passes a great part of the day crouched in his tent, drinking tea, and sometimes he lounges about like a Parisian dandy, though not quite in the same way. When he has a mind to see what is passing in the world, he mounts his horse, and goes galloping away into the desert, without heeding in what direction, and whenever he sees the smoke of a tent rising, he makes a call, and has a gossip.” ”

“ COTTON PLANT.
CHAPTER I.
THE FABLE AND ITS INTERPRETATION.
Amongst the curious myths of the Middle Ages none were more extravagant and persistent than that of the “Vegetable Lamb of Tartary,” known also as the “Scythian Lamb,” and the “Borametz,” or “Barometz,” the latter title being derived from a Tartar word signifying “a lamb.” This “lamb” was described as being at the same time both a true animal and a living plant. According to some writers this composite “plant-animal” was the fruit of a tree which sprang from a seed like that of a melon, or gourd ”

“ The Tartar, in his wild state, roaming from pasture to pasture, placing his whole wealth in his horses and cattle, silently enjoys the intoxicating qualities of his brandy procured from the milk of his mares, and sighs not for the richest cup ever quaffed by the lip of mortals. ”

“ It seemed to me that I descended thousands of feet and yet I had seen no sign of the city. Several times I heard creatures moving through the trees at a distance, and twice I heard the hideous scream of a targo. ”

“ The taro is grown in pits or beds, kept very wet,—in which case, urged by the natural heat of the climate, it grows with immense rapidity and luxuriance. It is the succulent root which is used for food. ”

“ But these are all tales; a horse of brass never flew, and a king's daughter never talked with birds! The Tartars, really, are a cold, insipid, smouchy set. You'll be sadly moped (if you are not eaten) among them. Pray try and cure yourself. Take hellebore (the counsel is Horace's, 'twas none of my thought originally) . Shave yourself oftener. Eat no saffron, for saffron-eaters contract a terrible Tartar-like yellow. Pray, to avoid the fiend. Eat nothing that gives the heart-burn. ”

“ In the morning he arose, and called one of his wives, and bade her go with him to the gardens to weed the taro. This did she, and knew not what was in her husband's heart. But as she weeded, the man came to her, carrying ripe taro, which he bade her roast in the ashes of their fire. Now taro thus cooked is the food of those who mourn for the dead, and the woman wondered that her husband waited not to eat until the food was cooked in the pot at home. But she held her peace, and roasted the taro, as he desired. ”

“ Although cupping and bleeding have great place in the veterinary art of the Tartars, you must not suppose that they have at their disposal fine collections of instruments, such as those of European operators. Most of them have nothing but their ordinary knife, or the small iron awl, which they keep in their girdle, and which they use daily to clear their pipes, and mend their saddles and leathern boots. ”

“ This incessant activity, this constant travelling, contributes to render the Tartars very vigorous, and capable of supporting the most terrible cold, without appearing to be in the least affected by it. ”

“ It has been already said that the Tartars are idolaters. Each man of any consequence has a table aloft in the wall of one of his chambers, on which a name is written, to signify the great God of Heaven, whom he adores once each day, with a censer of burning incense ”

“ If the Bone be put out of its place by a coagulated sort of Matter like Mortar or Plaister, Resolutives and Attenuants are to be us'd, such as the volatile Spirit of Tartar prepar'd with the Lees of Wine, volatile Spirit of Tartar destill'd with Nitre in a Retort with a long Neck, or Spirit of Tartar prepar'd by Fermentation with Tartar, and its proper Alkali: This last is the best of all, and the use thereof ought to be continu'd. The volatile Salt of Human Bones is also very efficacious ”

“ The whole face of nature might have been described as covered by a living veil. They consisted of two species, G. tartaricus, and migratorius, L.; the first is almost twice the size of the second, and, because it precedes it, is called by the Tartars, the herald or messenger.—Travels, i. 348. The account of another traveller, Mr. Barrow, of their ravages in the southern parts of Africa, in 1784, and 1797, is still more striking: an area of nearly two thousand square miles might be said literally to be covered by them. ”