|
A rushlight is a type of candle or miniature torch formed by soaking the dried pith of the rush plant in fat or grease. For several centuries rushlights were a common source of artificial light for poor people throughout the British Isles. They were extremely inexpensive to make. English essayist William Cobbett wrote, "This rushlight cost almost nothing to produce and was believed to give a better light than some poorly dipped candles." 〔quoted in Nian-Sheng Huang (2001) ''Franklin's father Josiah: life of a colonial Boston tallow chandler, 1657-1745''〕 One of the earliest printed descriptions of rushlights was written by English antiquary John Aubrey in 1673. Rev. Gilbert White gave a detailed description of rushlight making in ''The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne'', Letter XXVI (1789). Rushlights were still used in rural England to the end of the 19th century, and they had a temporary revival during World War II.〔Richard Mabey (1977) ''Plants with a purpose: a guide to the everyday uses of wild plants''〕 In parts of Wales the use of rushlights continued into the middle of the 20th century.〔David J. Eveleigh (2003) ''Candle Lighting,'' Shire Books, 1st edition, 2003〕 It is not clear whether rushlights were ever popular in the United States and Canada. Antique rushlight holders are occasionally found in North America, but most were probably imported from England; "none are known to bear the mark of an American smith."〔William C. Ketchum Jr. (1977) ''The catalog of American antiques,'' Rutledge.〕 In New England, "rushlights were used little if at all in colonial days."〔Lawrence S. Cooke (1976) ''Lighting in America: from colonial rushlights to Victorian chandeliers''〕 Rushlights should not be confused with rush-candles. A rush-candle is an ordinary candle (a block or cylinder of tallow or wax) that uses a piece of rush as a wick.〔(''Collections Historical and Archaeological Relating to Montgomeryshire and its Borders,'' volume XXIII (1889), page 382, first paragraph )〕 Rushlights, by contrast, are strips of plant fiber impregnated with tallow or grease. The wick is not separate from the fuel in a rushlight. ==Preparation== Mature rush stalks are gathered in summer or autumn. The green epidermis or rind of each stalk is carefully peeled off to reveal the inner pith, but a single lengthwise strip of rind is left in place to provide support for the fragile pith. After drying, the rush is then steeped in any available household fat or grease. Bacon grease was commonly used but mutton fat was considered best by some, partly because it dried to a harder, less messy texture than other fats.〔Gertrude Jekyll (1904) (''Old west Surrey: some notes and memories'' (page 102) )〕 A small amount of beeswax added to the grease would cause the rush to burn longer.〔Gilbert White (1789) ''The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne''〕 On more remote Atlantic islands such as St Kilda the stomach oil produced by Fulmars was used. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「rushlight」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|