With respect to the period at which the ancients began to make a writing substance of the papyrus, or, indeed, of the name of the originator, nothing decisive is known. It would, however, appear from the prophecy in Isaiah, which has been already referred to, in which mention is made of paper reeds by the brooks, that paper made of such reeds was actually in use when that prophecy was written. And in accordance with this conception, the learned Dr. Gill, in his commentary says, “On the banks of the Nile grew a reed, or rush, called by the Greeks papyrus, or byblus, from whence come the words paper and bible, or book, of which paper was anciently made, even as early as the time of Isaiah,” now nearly 3000 years ago.
The kind of pen ordinarily used for writing upon this material was simply a reed, cut and split just as our quill pens at present are, but with a point not quite so sharp.
I have in my possession some very fine specimens of what is usually called Bark Cloth, which, in its manufacture, approximates more nearly to that of modern paper than any other substance with which I am acquainted. It is formed from the bark of a small tree, or shrub, called the Paper Mulberry (morus papyrifera), which grows wild in the southern provinces of China, in Ava, in the Burmese country, and in India, as well as in all the Asiatic and Polynesian islands from Japan to Otaheite. If a strip of this bark, which is remarkable for the fineness of its texture, after being soaked in water, be laid on a smooth stone, and then carefully beaten with a bat or mallet, the surface of which is cut into fine ribs, the fibres will become separated more or less from one another, and if the beating be carefully conducted, the bark will ultimately assume the appearance of a web of fine linen, two pieces of bark being made to incorporate with one another simply by laying them so as to overlap a little, and then beating again. In this simple way the material is formed; and by a short exposure to the sunshine when wet, becomes perfectly white. To render it fit for writing, it is afterwards polished in a manner similar to the papyrus, by rubbing it with a shell or other hard substance until it has very much the appearance of parchment; and that it bears ink perfectly well, may be seen by an inspection of some Javanese Works, which are contained in the library of the Hon. East India Company.
The bat or mallet employed by the natives in preparing this material is usually about 15 inches in length, and from two and a half to three inches square, one side being grooved very coarsely, another somewhat finer, a third exceedingly fine, and the fourth generally cut in chequers or small squares. The bark is first beaten with the coarsest side of the instrument, and then, in turn, with those parts which are finer, the resinous matter contained in it being usually found sufficiently adhesive.
Without, however, dwelling longer upon this portion of our subject, which time will not permit, let us now proceed to trace out, in some measure, the history and progress of that more perfect and ingenious invention, MODERN PAPER; and in so doing, I can hardly forbear making some allusion to the incalculable advantages which have resulted to mankind from the introduction of so ingenious and extraordinary a discovery. It certainly would appear very remarkable, that not only amongst mankind generally, but even with those intimately associated with that branch of commerce, so little interest should be found to exist in an acquaintance with its origin and advancement, beyond the bare knowledge which directly concerns them. It is true that with them, no less than with people in general, the very indispensableness of the material renders familiarity at once an unconscious stumbling-block, to any conception of the grandeur of its importance, or its vastly interesting, and varied associations. Yet what infinite trouble and labour, what fruitless consumption of time, has not been saved by the invention of paper. How many toilsome and dangerous experiments have not philosophical projectors been spared. What laborious investigations and study have not thus been abridged, by the facts of others’ researches being so conveyed to posterity—knowledge, more than any one man could have attained to in a thousand years, though born with faculties in maturity. To enumerate all the advantages which the invention of paper has afforded mankind, it were, indeed, useless to attempt; for, whether we look at the traveller, traversing sea and land, without the knowledge of geography, and navigation; without those beautiful charts of the ocean, by which he is now enabled to proceed with safety, and even to predict with certainty, his arrival at the most distant ports: or, whether we look at the man of science, who being neither artist, nor manufacturer, is thus enabled to communicate his plans and projects with accuracy and ease, for mechanics afterwards to improve and perfect: or, indeed, whether we view the growing youth, educated with such facility in the principles of their duty, backward even to barbarous states, softened and enlightened by means of the discovery; its value, in the applicability of its purposes, stands out alike in each, declaring it distinctly above all other inventions, as truly the most wonderful, useful, and important, which has ever yet transpired in any age of the world; inasmuch, as without it, every other discovery must necessarily have continued comparatively useless to society. For, be it remembered, that in contrasting the results of this invention, with the productions of former periods, we are, in fact, arraying in our train, the mighty arm of the press against the feeble efforts of an unwieldy style, or the tedious and uncertain process of the slow-paced pen, which prior to an acquaintance with the art of printing, were the only means mankind possessed for spreading the influence and advantages of learning amongst their fellow-creatures. And, again, how highly interesting is it, to observe the prodigious advancement resulting from an ingenious and successful application of machinery in the one case, serving at the same time to develop to our wonder and amazement the extraordinary capabilities of production which have since been revealed by the Printing Machine. Truly may we now pronounce—
The Press! the venerated Press!
Freedom’s impenetrable shield—
The sword that wins her best success,
The only sword that man should wield.
It is stated that the daily aggregate printed surface of the Times alone, actually exceeds that of thirty acres, and the Illustrated London News, on one occasion, sent forth no less than 500,000 double numbers, or one million sheets. In fact, 2000 reams, exceeding seventy tons in weight.