89 



pressed for some time, and then cut into squcarcs of the 

 required size. The small sheets of this material are dyed of 

 various colors, and sold at a very cheap rate, and are extensively 

 used in the manufacture of artificial flowers ; the larger sheets 

 are sold at a much higher price, in proportion, from the greater 

 difiiculty attending their preparation. 



As far as I have yet been able to ascertain in plants grown 

 at Sydney, it would be useless to cut them down after ten 

 months' growth for the purpose ef procuring the pith, as that 

 portion of the plant is not sufficiently formed in that space of 

 time ; but I have found that, by careful cultivation, in about 

 twenty months, when the tree has commenced flowering for 

 the first time, the pith is sufficiently formed for all the 

 purposes for which it is required. This I ascertained by 

 cutting down some plants grown in the Botanic Gardens at 

 Sydney, by permission of my friend, Mr. Charles Moore, the 

 Director of that establishment, and the result was that I was 

 able to exhibit at one of the meetings of the Acclimatisation 

 Society specimens of the pith of plants grown in Sydney, 

 measuring one inch and a quarter in diameter, and which in 

 comparison with specimens of pith brought from China was 

 considered fully equal to it both in size and quality. 



The spare shavings and cuttings which remain after the 

 preparation of Rice Paper are used for stuffing mattrasses and 

 pillows, and it is also used by the Chinese as a medicinal 

 remedy ; the properties of the Ivy worts, to which family this 

 tree belongs, are generally described as being aromatic, tonic, 

 and stimulant. The famous Chinese medicine, the Ginseng 

 (Fanax quinquefoliimi) , belongs to this family; to it the 

 Chinese physicians ascribe such extraordinary virtues, for they 

 allege " that it nourishes and strengthens the body, stops 

 vomitings, clears the judgment, removes hypochondriasis, and 

 all other nervous affections, in a word gives a vigorous tone 

 to the human constitution even in old age." 



The first engraving of the Rice Paper Tree was published 

 in my Wanderings in JS/ew South Wales, Si7igapore and China, 

 (vol. 2 p. '?7)j in the year 1834. The engraving was made 

 from a large colored drawing, executed by a Chinese artist, 

 and was procured for me by the exertions of the late Mr. 

 Beale, of Macao, who interested himself in my enquires 

 respecting the tree producing the material known as " Rice 

 Paper," but at that time all my efforts to procure specimens 

 of the plant or tree producing it failed. The Chinese name for 

 the tree, Tong-shue, has since been found to be correct with a 

 slight difference in the orthography, being Tong-tsau, signify- 

 ing "hollow plant." Specimens of the pith in the unprepared 

 and prepared state and the drawings were all that I could pre- 



