130 CALAMUS ROTANG 



In the countries where these canes abound 

 the Malayan Peninsula and other parts of 

 Asia the natives use them for a great variety 

 of purposes ; baskets of all kinds, mats, hats, 

 and other useful articles being commonly made 

 of them. 



Their most important use, however, is for 

 the manufacture of ropes and cables usually 

 employed by coasting vessels. In the Hima- 

 layas they are used in the formation of 

 suspension bridges across rivers. 



Dr. Hooker thus describes their con- 

 struction : < Two parallel canes, on the same 

 horizontal plane, were stretched across the 

 stream ; from these others hung in loops, and 

 along the loops were laid one or two bamboo 

 stems for flooring ; cross-pieces below this 

 flooring hung from the two upper canes, 

 which they thus served to keep apart. The 

 traveller grasps one of the canes in either 

 hand and walks along the loose bamboos 

 laid on the swinging loops.' 



In the natural state the canes have reed- 

 like stems, seldom more than an inch in 



