The making of the strand of a rope is now performed by machinery. A frame consisting of a great variety of bobbins, each loaded with yarn and posted upon a pivot so as to rotate easily, occupies one end of the factory; the ends of all these yarns, from twenty to eighty, are made to pass through an equal number of small holes in a convex plate attached to the central machine, and then combined into one close group. This group next passes through a tube, whose diameter is such as to compress the yarns into close contact, and lastly is wound on a large reel attached to the machine. Meanwhile the twist is given to the strand by a remarkable arrangement—the whole of the machinery from the tube to the reel rotates round a horizontal axis, and in so doing imparts a twist to the strand, which is passing round the various wheels. The different arrangements are very beautiful. In the first place each bobbin rotating separately on its axle, gives off just as much yarn as the strand requires, so that all become equally strained by the outer yarns being somewhat longer than the inner. Then the arrangement of the holes in the plate and of the tube bring all the yarns to their proper position in the strand, and lastly by changing the wheels in the machine, the strand becomes more or less hard by twisting at a more or less acute angle. If the strand be drawn more swiftly through, while the machine is revolving with a given velocity, the intensity or closeness of the twist is diminished, if less swiftly then the twist is increased. Such are some of the beautiful results of machinery. To twist the strands into a rope is called “laying” a rope. In the laying walk a revolving wheel placed near the end is provided with hooks, whereon the three strands to form the rope are fixed. These hooks are made to rotate by the action of the wheel, its prime mover being horse or steam-power. At the other end of the walk all the strands are fixed to one hook, which revolves in an opposite direction to the others. To equalize the hardness of the twist or lay, a conical or rather bee-hived piece of wood called a “top” is inserted between the three strands—groves being cut in the surface of the “top” for their reception. This “top” thus placed prevents the strands from twisting, except in the direction of the smaller end; while a man stationed immediately behind, compresses the rope by a simple piece of apparatus, and causes the twist to become hard and firm. The “top” as the rope closes behind it is slowly urged on from one end to the other—if small it is managed by a top-man, but if large it is supported on a carriage, as in the engraving. No difference exists in making a larger or smaller rope, so far as the principle is concerned. The three strands are twisted round each other in the same manner by an apparatus more or less powerful according to the size of the rope. [Illustration]