212 On the fibrous plants yielding the Grass-cloth of China. 
wise employed for making cloth and for ropes; its fibre is used 
as asupport to the pith employed as candle wicks. Luh Ma pro- 
duces the hemp of which rice bags are manufactured, and also 
ropes. The Tung Ma and the Pi Mé are used for making pig- 
ments, one serving for cakes, the other for paper. The only oth- i 
er Mé that need be named in this list is the Chi Ma, Sesamum 
indicum. It was brought from India in the reign of Kingti, B. 
C. 156. It is now found in all parts of the empire. Its seeds are 
used in cakes,.and like almost every kind of Ma, it yields oil. 
oS, Plar.—lt would seem from various English and Chinese — 
vig aries, that flax is found in China, but of the existence of um 
“i “ usitatissimum, I cannot discover the slightest evidence. It aan 
_ to have been confounded ‘with the last named plant. The above 
are all the facts respecting the Ma which I have been able to 
glean from native authors; the deficiency can only be supplied by 
i‘ personal observation. The Chi Ma of this place can be inspect- 
ed and described when in flower. This imperfect account of the 
plants: producing the fibre from which the grass-cloth of com- 
meree is.manufactured (evidently a misnomer), would be yet 
mona eects e were the K6h plant to be wholly omitted. It is 
“a creeper,” which every year springs from an im- 
méensé: root, and grdws from ten to thirty feet in length, clinging 
. to trees whet Sr iheiie reach. ‘The root is purple on the outside, 
y,and white within; it is made into flour like arrow-root. I have 
"found it an useful. substitute.for the Maranta arundinacea. Its 
leaves have three points, they are long, green on the face, and 
gptehty ‘below. In August it. as. blended purple flowers. The 
ee 
. 
* 
= = pon rg time to riees water; and beaten with mailets. 
*". At snidersate’ > same processes as the Ma, but seems to require 
« “more beating’ and boiling :. wooden utensils make it dark. The 
ad Koh, like the Ma, has been. manufactured from high antiquity, 
‘*  andis found throughout the same extensive region in which the 
all : latter abounds. x rhe. den made from it is 4 yellow, and as fine as 
ordinary grass-oloth ; it car ‘gente be 2 bleached, ‘white ; in summer it is 
he best .b 
a 
* 5 ‘ 
“SI the™Ku 
ot the catalogue | at ae lich, which ¢on- *_ 
om re of Urticée; incl og Ma, the Koh, a. : 
i abstitute ? The observ of Dr. Bosbarehy 2 4 8 
ae x ie 4 A 
