THE PLANTAIN AND BANANA TREES. 401 



posed almost entirely of spiral vessels, when cut 

 across ; and so abundant are they, as to be col- 

 lected in handfuls, in the Antilles, and form a 

 kind of tinder." 



The number of threads capable of being drawn 

 from each convolution of these spiral vessels, is 

 from seven, as M. de la Chesnay has calculated 

 even to twenty-two. (Idem, p. 37.) The young 

 shoots of the Banana trees make an excellent 

 edible. 



The threads procured from the stalks of some 

 species of this family are used for very fine and 

 delicate-textured linen and muslin. At Manilla 

 there is an extensive manufacture of muslins 

 and sinamaya, or grass cloth, from the coarsest 

 to the finest texture it is possible to manu- 

 facture, and, sometimes it has been stated, 

 " made of fibres so fine, that they require to be 

 manufactured under water, because, if exposed 

 to the sun and air, they become too fragile to 

 work."* The coarsest fibres of the same plant 

 form the Avaca, or Manilla hemp of commerce, 

 used in the manufacture of cordage. The species 

 of Musa is called M. textilis ; but I do not con- 

 sider it at all accurately known : it forms planta- 



* Abel's Narrative of a Journey in China, &c, &c, 4to. 

 p. 251. 



VOL. II. D D 



