110 VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES. 



of the Cocoa-nut Tree*,' a full account of this 

 species of cordage. 



" The husk or fibrous part of the nut," says that 

 gentleman, " is employed to polish furniture, and to 

 scour the floors of rooms, &c. Birds which build 

 pendulous nests commonly construct them of this 

 substance. Its chief use, however, is in the manu- 

 facture of coir, and for this purpose the nut ought 

 not to be completely ripe. . . . To remove the 

 husk, an iron spike, or sharp piece of hard wood, 

 is fixed in the ground ; the nut is then forced upon 

 the point, which passes through the fibres, thereby 

 separating the rind from the shell. In this manner 

 a man can clear 1,000 nuts daily. Coir is prepared 

 by soaking the rind in water for several months, arid 

 then beating it upon a stone with a piece of heavy 

 wood. . . . Subsequently it is rubbed with the 

 hand until the interstitial substance be completely 

 separated from the fibrous portion of the husk. The 

 rind of forty cocoas furnished Mr. Koster with six 

 pounds weight of coir. The next operation is to 

 twist the fibres into yarns, which are manufactured 

 into cordage of all sizes. Coir is remarkably buoyant 

 and well suited for ropes of a large diameter. Until 

 chain-cables were introduced, all the ships which 

 navigated the Indian seas had cables made of this 

 substance. Sea-water is said to be rather beneficial 

 than hurtful to it. Coir-cordage, when properly 

 prepared, is pliable, smooth, strong, and elastic: it is 

 very well suited for running-rigging, more especially 

 where lightness is deemed an advantage, as in top- 

 gallant studding-sail sheets, &c. On account of its 

 elasticity, seamen consider it not well fitted for 

 standing rigging." Dr. Roxburgh, in his observations 

 on the comparative strength of English hemp and 

 other vegetable fibres, (Transactions of the Society 

 * Edinburgh, 1832. 



