Mr. M'Micking on the Mode of Preparing Manila Hemp. 220 



WWtving very line hemp «-l..th, t he wind is apt to break the threads if not 

 under shelter. I believe, ftfeo, tlmt the threads are kept moist in weaving 

 from both the hemp ami the pine-apple fibre; and it is an occasional mode 

 of the sellers to praise the fineness of the cloth, by saying, that it was 

 "woven under water;" implying that the threads were so fine, that 

 ordinary moistening would not suffice to enable the weaver to work 

 them up. 



The hemp cloth, when woven, is placed for a day and night in water, 

 with a little lime made from sea-shells, and afterwards washed and 

 stretched out. It is hard and rough, more so than our linen or than 

 China grass cloth. It is, however, a favourite material for shirts with 

 the Philippine islanders of both sexes. Those now exhibited are a man's 

 and a woman's, and constitute the only covering in common use by both 

 sexes of the labouring class for the upper part of the body. 



When to bo woven, the hemp is easily dyed of blue and pink- 

 colours. To dye it blue, the natives employ the leaves of the Marsdenia 

 ocar, which gives blue colour in abundance. This plant is described at 

 page 118 of the Flora do Filipinas. To dye hemp pink, they boil the 

 bark of the root of Morinda citrifolia, (described at page 150 of the Flora 

 de Filipinas,) with a little lime or alum, till the desired colour is obtained ; 

 or it may be more easily done by the same process as used for cotton 

 thread, which is by solution of wood ashes, and oil of Sesamum Indicum. 

 (See Flora Filipina, p. 507.) 



The price paid to the actual producers of the hemp must be very low, 

 as it has to be collected in small quantities from house to house, and 

 transported chiefly on horseback through a country where roads are few 

 and bad. Its selling price is commonly about lis. or 12s. per cwt. at the 

 outports, from which it is conveyed by coasting craft to Manila. 



At Manila, the hemp is packed into well-shaped bales, measuring ten 

 cubic feet, and weighing 280 lbs. each, which is the shape in which it 

 appears as merchandize, and in which state the price is usually about 20s. 

 per cwt. The packing-press is a worm screw, worked like the capstan of 

 a ship, which, in descending, forces the hemp into a strong wooden box, 

 the upper portions of which are taken to pieces, and removed as the hemp 

 is pressed down. 



The quantity exported from Manila annually is about 5000 tons weight, 

 of which about two-thirds or three-fourths go to the United States, and 

 remainder chiefly to this country, where its consumption appears to be 

 increasing. A considerable quantity is also made into rope in the 

 districts where it is produced, to supply coasting vessels, and for other 

 purposes; and at Manila, the manufacture of rope from the hemp for 

 domestic use, and fox exportation, or sale to shipping visiting the port, 

 is a considerable branch of indusf 



Dr. Walker Amott mentioned, that, although the Manila hemp pos- 

 sd great tenacity, the fibre always gave way when knotted. Mr. 



