BARK-CLOTH. 475 



because it resisted water, which they did not. All three 

 kinds of cloth were made in the same way, the difference 

 between them being only in the material. When the trees 

 were of a proper size, that is to say, about six or eight feet 

 high, and somewhat thicker than a man's thumb, they were 

 pulled up and the roots and branches were cut off. The bark 

 being slit up longitudinally, it peeled off readily, and was then 

 soaked for some time in running water. After this, the green 

 outside bark was carefully scraped off with a shell, and the 

 strips were laid out in the evening to dry, being placed one 

 by the side of another " till they are about a foot broad, and 

 two or three layers are also laid one upon the other." By the 

 morning a great part of the water had drained off or evapo- 

 rated, and " the several fibres adhere together, so as that the 

 whole may be raised from the ground in one piece." It was 

 then placed on the smooth side of a long piece of wood, and 

 beaten by the women-servants with a wooden instrument, 

 shaped like a square razor-strap, and about a foot long. The 

 four sides of this instrument were " marked lengthways with 

 small grooves or furrows, of different degrees of fineness ; 

 those on one side being of a width and depth sufficient to 

 receive a small packthread, and the others finer in a regular 

 gradation, so that the last are not more than equal to sewing 

 silk." They beat the cloth first with the coarsest side, and 

 afterwards with the others, ending with the finest : under this 

 treatment it expanded greatly, and might be made almost as 

 thin as a muslin. The different pieces of bark by this treat- 

 ment were so closely fastened together, that the cloth might 

 be washed and wrung out without any fear of tearing ; but 

 even if it were accidentally broken, it was repaired without 

 difficulty, by pasting on a patch with a gluten prepared from 

 the root of the pea : this was done so nicely that it could not 

 be discovered. This cloth was cool and agreeable to the touch, 

 being even softer than our broadcloth. It is hardly necessary 



