290 A V O Y A G E T O 



»777- manufacture of thefe iflands, as well as of many others in 



June. 



< ir— / this Ocean. In the narrative of my firil: Voyage *, a minute 



defcription is given of this operation, as performed at 

 Otaheite ; but the procefs, here, differing in fome parti- 

 cvilars, it may be worth while to give the follov>^ing ac- 

 count of it: 



The raanufadlurers, who are females, take the flender 

 ftalks or trunks of the paper-mulberry, which they cul- 

 tivate for that purpofe ; and which feldom grows more 

 than fix or feven feet in height, and about four fingers in 

 thicknefs. From thefe they ftrip the bark, and fcrape off 

 the outer rind with a mufcle-lhell. The bark is then rolled 

 up to take off the convexity which it had round the ftalk, 

 and macerated in water for fome time (they fay, a night). 

 After this, it is laid acrofs the trunk of a fmall tree fquared, 

 and beaten with a fquare wooden inftrument, about a foot 

 long, full of coarfe grooves on all fides; but, fometimes, with 

 one that is plain. According to the fize of the bark, a piece 

 is foon produced -, but the operation is often repeated by an- 

 other hand, or it is folded feveral times, and beat longer, 

 which feems rather intended to clofe than to divide its 

 texture. When this is fufficiently effedled, it is fpread out 

 to dry ; the pieces being from four to fix, or more, feet in 

 length, and half as broad. They are then given to another 

 perfon, who joins the pieces, by fmearing part of them 

 over with the vifcous juice of a berry, called tooo, which 

 ferves as a glue. Having been thus lengthened, they arc 

 laid over a large piece of wood, with a kind of ftamp, made 

 of a fibrous fubftance pretty clofely interwoven, placed be- 

 neath. They then take a bit of cloth, and dip it in a juice,, 



» Hawkefworth's Colkdion of Voyages, Vol. ii. p. 210. 



3 



expreffed 



