Miscellanies. 203 



The hemp is easily dyed of blue and pink colors. To dye it blue, 

 they stili employ, as in the olden times, the leaves of a shrub or twining 

 plant, which, in Camarines, is named payanguit and aringuil, the Mars- 

 denia akar. (Flora Filipina, p. 118.) An intelligent description of this 

 twinina plant was made to the Politico-Economical Society of Manilla, 

 by that curious and diligent observer, Padre Jose de Mata, of the order 

 of San Francisco; and it is he, who, in these our days, has brought this 

 plant to the notice of the European dwellers in the Philipines. The 

 leaves of this plant give blue color in abundance. 



To dye the hemp pink, I have heard that in Camarines province they 

 boil the bark of the root of the Morinda (Flora Filipina, p. 148) with a 

 little lime or alum, till the desired color is obtained, and with this they 

 proceed to dye. But it is better to dye in the same manner as used for 

 cotton thread, which is with a solution of wood-ashes and oil of Sesamum. 

 (Flora Filipina, p. 507.) Additional note by T. M. M., 30 Mar. 1840. 



The hemp of commerce is brought to Manilla chiefly in native rigged 

 boats of fifty to one hundred tons burthen, termed poniines, from Cama- 

 rines and Albay provinces, and from Zebu Island. The price paid to 

 the actual producer in the interior of the country, I do not know; but 

 considering that it is a bulky article, the cost of transportation must be 

 heavy, as it is brought to the ports of shipment for Manilla, chiefly on 

 horseback, through a country where there are few roads, and must ako 

 be collected from house to house ; the price, therefore, that can be afford- 

 ed to the native laborer must be very trifling. At the ports of shipment, 



when roughly made up into bales, it costs generally about per picul 



of 140 English pounds, on board the pontines. The general price at 

 which they sell it in Manilla to the exporters is from $3,75 to $4,25 per 

 picul. It is delivered from the pontine, at some of the various hemp 

 screws, where it is opened out, examined, and again made up into well- 

 shaped bales, each weighing two piculs, or 280 English pounds, net, and 

 measuring about ten and a half cubic feet. In this state it is ready for 

 transmission on board ship, and is generally known in commerce. The 

 expenses of screwing, shipping, and two per cent, export duty, amount to 

 about half a dollar per picul of 140 pounds. 



1 1 . National Institution at Washiiigton for the promotion of Science. 

 Orf^anized, May 15, 1840. — Constitution adopted and objects declared, 

 beinff to promote science and the useful arts, and to establish a National 

 Museum of Natural History, &c. First list of officers. 



Directors — Hon. Jokl R. Poinsett, late Sec. of War, Hon. James 

 K. Paulding, late Sec. of the Navy. 



Councillors — Hon. John Q,. Adams, Col. J. J. Abert, Col. Jos. Tot- 

 ten, Dr. Alex. Mc Williams, A. O. Dayton. 



