BARKS OF VARIOUS TREES. Ill 



of Arts, vol. ii.) says, " Coir is certainly the very 

 best material yet known for cables, on account of its 

 great elasticity and strength*." " The natives of 

 Ceylon sew the planks together which compose their 

 boats with coir yarns. When twisted into yarns 

 adapted for being manufactured into cordage, it is 

 valued in Ceylon at about 2 per candy (5001bs.). 

 Large quantities of this substance are exported to the 

 different ports in India. Under the Dutch govern- 

 ment about 3,000, 000 Ibs. were annually manu- 

 factured in the island. The quantity of coir exported 

 from Ceylon in 1813 amounted to 404 8 J candies. 

 Very lately a manufactory for the making of coir- 

 cordage has been established on a large scale at 

 Recif, near to Pernambuco, on the coast of Brazil. 



" Coir is much used in India, in place of hair, to 

 stuff mattresses, cushions for couches, saddles, &c. 

 It is also employed to make brooms and brushes to 

 whitewash houses." 



That accurate observer Dampier informs us, that 

 the Spaniards in the South Seas make oakum to 

 caulk their ships from the husk of the cocoa-nut, 

 " which is more serviceable than that made of hemp, 

 and they say it will never rot/' He adds, " I have 

 been told by Captain Knox, who wrote the Relation 

 of Ceylon, that in some places of India they make 

 a sort of coarse cloth of this husk of the cocoa-nut, 

 which is used for sails. I myself have seen coarse 

 sail-cloth made of such a kind of substance f." 



The Theobroma augusta, of the same genus as the 

 cacao-tree, is found growing indigenously in various 



* Ships furnished with cables of this very elastic material have 

 frequently been known to ride out a storm in security, while the 

 stronger made, but less elastic ropes of other vessels have been 

 snapped like packthread. 



t A Voyage Round the World. 



