NEW SOUTH WALE& 12? 



leaving Capt. Nepean, (who was on his return, 

 to Europe by the Britannia?/) as Governor in his- 



the slay or reed designed for coarse canvas ; nor did they pos~ 

 sess a single tool required by flax-dressers or weavers, beyond the 

 poor substitutes which they were obliged to fabricate themselves. 

 If there had been proper slays or reeds, brushes, and othef 

 articles indispensably necessary for flax-dresaii*g}fcnd weaving, 

 with more people to work the flax and a greater number of 

 weavers, this island might soon require very little assistance in 

 clothing the convicts; but for want of these necessary articles, 

 the only cloth that could be made was a little canvas some- 

 thing tiner than No. 7 5 which is thought to be equally strong 

 and durable as that made from European flax. 



This useful plant needs no cultivation. An experiment has 

 been made to cultivate it, and answered extremely well; but 

 the produce was not so much superior to that growing in a 

 natural state as to make it advisable to bestow any pains on 

 its culture. 



Before the arrival of the two New Zealan'ders, no effectual 

 progress had been made in its manufacture ; nor was it 

 without much intreaty that these visitors were induced to 

 'furnish the information required. And indeed, as this 

 work is principally performed by the women in New Zealand, 

 they were by no means competent to give the fullest in- 

 structions. Sufficient however was obtained from them to im- 

 prove upon. Since that time those women that could be 

 spared from other work, not exceeding from six to twelve, had 

 been employed in preparing the flax ; and a flax-dresser, 

 weaver, and three other assistants, in manufacturing it into 

 canvas, rope, &c. 



When the leaves are gathered, the hard stalk running 

 through the centre is taken out with the thumb-nail ; and the 

 red edges of the leaf are also stripped off. The two parts are 

 then separated in the middle, making four slips of about three- 

 quarters of an inch wide, and the. length of from eighteen 

 inches to three or four feet. These slips are cut across the 

 centre with a muscle-shell, but not so deep as to separate the 

 fibres, which is the dax. The slips thus prepared are held in, 



