114 LOCAL BOTANY OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. \_April, 



" The specimens of upland cotton, although few, are remark- 

 ably fine, and were grown on the coast country ; they have sea- 

 island gloss, very unlike the coarse, hairy appearance of the same 

 varieties met with from other parts of the world." 



Textile Tibrous Matekials from Brisbane, Queensland. 



"The attention of the Commissioners having been directed to 

 the fibre-producing plants of the colony for the manufacture of 

 paper and textile fabrics, we sent to Manilla to ascertain the pro- 

 cess generally adopted in the Philippine Islands, in the prepara- 

 tion of that variety of the Banana [Musa textilis) from which is 

 obtained the Manilla Hemp of commerce. Our communication 

 was courteously responded to by Messrs. Russell and Sturgis, of 

 Manilla, who very kindly sent us a sketch of the machine in use 

 there for that purpose. From this we had a machine made, and 

 lent it to some Banana-growers in the neighbourhood, but their 

 report of its utility is not a favourable one ; this no doubt arises 

 from some defect in the details of the machine, or in the mani- 

 pulation ; we may look for more favourable results hereafter. 



" Amongst the samples of fibre exhibited will be found a very 

 good specimen obtained from the Musa textilis, for which the 

 prize was awarded to Mr. Warner; and some fibre contributed 

 by Mr. Hill, procured from a JMalvaceous plant [Sida) a weed 

 that grows with wild luxuriance in many unoccupied grounds 

 in the neighbourhood, which on examination will be found to be 

 very strong, of average length and fineness, and suitable for a 

 variety of useful purposes." 



LOCAL BOTANY IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. 



Journal of a Botanical Tour from London to Dover, the Isle of 

 Thanet, Rochester, etc., by Tunhridge and Hastings; copied 

 from the Sloane MSS. ' Adversaria Petiveriana.' 



August 16th, 1714. — Soon after four o'clock this afternoon 

 Mr. Sherard (James) and I (James Petiver) left London by 

 Bromley Riverhead, Maram's Court, for Sevenoaks, where we 

 halted for the night. 



August 16th. — About eight o'clock this morning we visited 



