24 ROMANCE OF LOW LIFE AMONGST PLANTS. 



years ago, as a commercial article, for stuffing pillows, 

 etc.; and in 1858 no less than some 313,000 lbs. were 

 exported from the Sandwich Islands, and the trade 

 was gradually increasing. Owing to the large quanti- 

 ties collected, it was then becoming more rare, and 

 the price advanced yearly. " The number of persons 

 engaged in gathering pulu varies. Including men, 

 women, and children, probably from two to three 

 thousand are now dependent on it for a livelihood, 

 receiving generally from five to six cents per pound on 

 delivery. The labour of gathering pulu is very tedious 

 and slow. When picked, it is wet, and has to be laid 

 out to dry on the rocks or on mats. In favourable 

 weather it will dry in a day or two, but generally in 

 the pulu region wet and rainy days prevail, so that 

 frequently the natives do not get their pulu dry after 

 several weeks, often taking it to market in too wet a 

 state. The dealers have constantly to contend with 

 this inclination of the natives to sell wet pulu, as it 

 makes considerable difference in the weight when dry. 

 The facilities for drying, packing, and shipping are 

 improving every year, and the article now shipped is 

 generally dry and in good order, closely packed in 

 wool bales. The trade is reduced to a system, and 

 though there is no probability of any great increase, 

 it will doubtless continue a staple export." ^ 



A similar substance, which is the produce of Balan- 

 thim culcita, in Madeira and the Azores, is used for 

 stuffing cushions, mattresses, etc. Indeed, this list 

 might be considerably extended, but we are princi- 



' M. C. Cooke, "On Pulu," in Pharmaceutical Jottrnal, April, 

 i860. 



