76 NEW ZEALAND FLAX. 



The flax is used by the natives of New Zea- 

 land for a variety of purposes ; from it they 

 manufacture very strong fishing-lines, and also 

 a variety of handsome and durable mats, which 

 are used both by males and females for clothing. 

 The method adopted by the natives of New 

 Zealand, for the separation of the fibre from the 

 other parts of the leaf, is as follows : — The 

 leaves, when full grown, are cut down, the most 

 perfect selected, and a lateral incision is made 

 with a shell on each side of the leaf, so as simply 

 to cut through the epidermis ; the shell is then, 

 with a gentle pressure, drawn from one of the 

 incisions rapidly down the leaf, and is after- 

 wards repeated on the other side ; by this, the 

 whole of the external epidermis is readily re- 

 moved ; the internal epidermis, which is of 

 very thin texture, usually remains, but some- 

 times it is in the greatest part removed together 

 with the external : the internal seems to unite 

 the fibres of the leaf more intimately together, 

 and if not cleaned from the flax when in a re- 

 cent state, is removed afterwards with great 

 difficulty ; and when it is suff'ered to remain, 

 renders the flax less valuable as an article of 

 commerce. 



In the preparation of the flax, as well as in 

 the manufacture of it into matting, the females 



