XIV, 6 King: Philippine Bast-fiber Ropes 565 
the crude fiber strips are immersed in water for ten to 
fourteen days until the pulp in which the basts are embedded 
is sufficiently decomposed. The extraneous matter is then re- 
moved by various manipulations, such as kneading, beating, 
wringing, and washing in water. Ultimately the bast is disen- 
cumbered of most of the plant tissue which contains gums, 
resins, sugars, and starches, and which do not add to the strength 
of the filaments but, instead, shorten the life of the fiber by 
attracting insects and fungi. The product is a filamentous bast 
which has an aspect altogether different from the crude strips 
obtained by the former process and is a much better cordage 
material. The fiber is dried in the sun and is spun into strands 
and eventually laid into ropes, as in the former process. Only 
two of the ropes tested were made of water-retted fiber, which 
makes a strong, neat, smooth, and flexible rope. 
FABRICATION OF ROPE 
The bast in the form of narrow strips, ribbons, or filaments 
is spun manually (usually withoyt the aid of any mechanical 
device) into a continuous strand, having a more or less circular 
section, and is wound on a simple reel. Generally speaking, it 
would be more correct to name this first combination of fibers a 
yarn, but in this case the yarn is at the same time the strand. 
The size of the strand is determined by the ultimate diameter 
desired for the rope. This procedure of making the strand is 
partly made necessary by the bulky, inflexible nature of the 
bast strips, which do not lend themselves to the process of small- 
yarn spinning as do fine filamentous fibers such as cotton, abaca, 
or maguey. Furthermore, simplicity requires that the same 
method of having one thick yarn per strand be used with the 
retted filaments. 
Having decided upon the length of the rope, as many lengths 
of spun fiber are cut from the supply on the reel as there are 
to be strands in the rope, and of a length longer than the fin- 
ished rope, in order to allow for the shrinkage incurred by the 
twisting of the laying process. Nearly all of the bast ropes 
used in the Philippines are laid with three strands; one of those 
tested had two strands. 
In the process of making a three-strand rope the three strands 
cut from the reel are tied at one end to three hardwood cranks 
or twirlers, which are mounted between two upright posts, and 
yoked so that they can be revolved simultaneously. This is the 
forward laying apparatus and is fixed. Its details are clearly 
