120 VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES. 



The same ingenious people make an extraordinary 

 use of another kind of rush ; they manufacture it into 

 shoes for their horses. We have not found a de- 

 scription of the plant, but have seen a drawing of 

 one of these vegetable shoes. Its shape agrees with 

 the hoof, it is somewhat hollowed, and at its edges 

 there are four strings made of the same material, 

 which attach the shoe to the horse's leg, above the 

 pastern joint. 



According to Dampier, the Tonquinese make great 

 use of rushes in their religious ceremonies. He says, 

 that in the outer room of all their houses " there is a 

 table, and on one side a little altar, with two incense- 

 pots on it; nor is any house without its altar. One 

 of these incense-pots has a small bundle of rushes 

 in it, the ends of which I always took notice had 

 been burnt, and the fire put out." In another place 

 he informs us, that when prayers are offered up to 

 heaven these rushes are lit, and consecrated paper 

 thrown in among them. 



The comparative scarcity of bulrushes in this 

 country, induced Mr. Salisbury to seek some sub- 

 stitute for this plant, and he attempted, with success, 

 to apply the leaves of the flag, or great cat's-tail, to 

 similar purposes. This plant (Typha latifolia) grows 

 in great quantities in pools and swamps in all parts 

 of the kingdom. Its stalks are six feet high, and the 

 leaves three feet long ; these are barely an inch broad, 

 and are convex on one side ; the amentum, or cylin- 

 drical club, which terminates the stalk, is of a dark 

 brown colour, and about half a foot long. The 

 modes of preparing these leaves and making them 

 into matting are so simple that they may be acquired 

 by a few trials. 



The bags in which the sugar is imported from the 

 Mauritius are made of a kind of matting, interwoven 

 in broad compact strips ; this is very thick, strong, 



