THE MAT SAILS OF THE PACIITC. 



By John F. G. Stokes, Assistant in the Museum. 



Of the useful arts in the Pacific Ocean mat-making was, in 

 former days, one of the most universally pracfticed, the materials 

 used being the leaves of the Pandamts odoratissiinus, Hibiscus and 

 banana fibre, the fibre from the Phorviuivi tenax, commonly known 

 as the New Zealand flax, and the sedges Cy perns Iccvigatus and 

 Scirpiis lacustris. Of these the Pandanus was in greatest request, 

 growing as it did most spontaneously throughout the tropics, and 

 existing in barren parts where most other plants would die. Being 

 an evergreen with abundant foliage the supply of material never 

 ran short. When prepared the leaves were very soft and pliable, 

 3^et having sufficient stiffness to retain the strips in position when 

 weaving. The Hibiscus (that mainl}- used being the Paritium 

 tiliaceiim) was also plentiful, but more work being required to pre- 

 pare it and the mat woven therefrom not being equal to the Pan- 

 danus mat, less use of it was made. Only two or three species of 

 banana were grown for their fibre and these were limited to the 

 Caroline and Gilbert Islands, and while making a wonderfully fine 

 mat — one that appeared quite as fine as our coarser linen — it was 

 not as strong as Hibiscus or Pandanus and was manufacflured 

 mainly as an article of dress. The New Zealand flax was the best 

 known fibre in that country, but its use was confined to New 

 Zealand. As a durable article it has attracted the attention of 

 European and American manufa(5turers. The sedges, Cyperus 

 Icevigatus and Sdrpus lacustris, while no doubt growing elsewhere, 

 were not used except on one of the Hawaiian Islands; and there, 

 on account of the extreme softness of the material the mats were 

 very largely manufa<5lured for the clothing of the chiefly families ; 

 but on account of the natural conditions surrounding its growth it 

 could never compete with the Pandanus in general usefulness. 



It will thus be observed that of the plants known to the inhab- 

 itants of the Pacific Islands that most in demand, and which proved 

 itself most suitable to the wants of the multitude for the purpose of 

 making mats, was the Pandanus, and the mats made from it being 

 so strong and pliable were always used (apart from New Zealand) 

 to supply the sails of their canoes. When visiting Samoa, La 

 Perouse described a kind of linen, stating: "This is made of real 



thread obtained, no doubt, from some fibrous plants, like the nettle 



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