128 HISTORY OF 



absence* The passage was short, fof on the 

 4th day the natives were landed among some 



the left hand, with the thumb resting on the upper part of the 

 slip just above the cut. The muscle-shell held in the right 

 hand is placed on the upper part just below the cut, with the 

 thumb resting on the uppcsrpart. The shell is drawn to the 

 end of the slip, which separates the vegetable covering from 

 the flaxen filaments. The slip is then trimmed, and the same 

 operation is performed on the remaining part, which leaves 

 the flax entire. If it be designed for fishing lines, or other 

 coarse work, nothing more is done to it; but if intended for 

 cloth, it is twisted and beaten for a considerable time in a 

 clear stream of water ; and when dried, twisted into such 

 threads as the work requires. Instead of working it as soon 

 as gathered, our people found it work better for being placed 

 in a heap in a close room for five days or a week, after which 

 it became softer and pleasanter to work. They also found it 

 easier, and more expeditious, to scrape the vegetable covering, 

 from the fibres, which is done with three strokes of a knife. It 

 is then twisted, and put into a tub of water, where it remains 

 until the day's work is finished. The day following it is 

 washed and beaten in a running stream. When sufficiently 

 beaten it is dried, and needs no other preparation, until it is 

 hackled and spun into yarn for weaving. 



The numbers employed at this work were as follow ; 



Invalids gathering the flax - 3 men ; 



Preparing it - - 7 women; 



Beating and washing it 3 who are invalids; 



Flax- dresser 1 



Spinners - 2 women; 



Weaver and assistant - 2 men ; 



Total, 18; 

 by whose weekly labour sixteen yards of canvas of the size of 

 No. 7 was made. It is to be remarked, that the women, and 

 most of the men, could be employed at no other work ; and 

 that the labour of manuring and cultivating the ground ; the 

 loss of other crops ; the many processes used in manufactur- 



