General Notices. 241 



process of malleting, and occasionally separating the parenchyma by ablution 

 with water; an operation so tedious and so laborious, that one man can barely 

 manufacture 2 lbs. weight a day. Another defect in the process appears to 

 me to be the late period of cutting the leaves, which are allowed to attain 

 their full maturity ; by which their fibre becomes coarser, more rigid and 

 ligneous, and less adapted for use. Its strength, therefore (as may be seen 

 by the table in next page), is, in its present state, inferior to both Riga 

 and Italian hemp; but when the manufacture becomes improved, as I trust 

 it will, now that it has been introduced at my solicitation into Jamaica, 

 and the leaves are cut at a proper age, its strength, as well as its other pro- 

 perties, will, I am confident, be found superior both to flax and hemp. In 

 point of weight, it has the advantage, being -^ r lighter ; and, in point of 

 offal, the advantage is enormous, the quantity produced from as much as 

 made two log lines, and a pound of line twine, amounting, according to a 

 report in my possession, only to §■ lb. ; while the same quantity of Italian 

 hemp gave 2Alb., and of Riga hemp 2ilb. : from which data I have esti- 

 mated that 3 tons' weight of Pita is capable of yielding as much cordage, 

 sail, or other cloth, as 14 tons, 19 cwt. 11 lb. 10 oz. and 6 drs., or, in round 

 numbers, 15 tons, of undressed hemp. The weight of two bundles of cord- 

 age, of equal lengths, of Pita and hemp weighed, the Pita 1 lb. 14 oz., the 

 hemp 2 lbs. 1 oz., exactly JL. more, or 3 oz. This fibre is preferred to hemp 

 in the places where it grows, from its superior durability, and superior 

 power of resisting the action of wet. Hence it is used for fishing-nets, 

 cordage of all sorts, packing bales, and even shoes, being even preferred to 

 leather. As a corroboration of this latter fact, I find, in Mr. Worsley's 

 highly ingenious little volume, entitled A View of the American Indians , 

 pointing out their Origin, published in 1828, at chap. x. p. 146., an account 

 given of the journey of Aaron Levy, a Portuguese Jew, in South America, 

 with an Indian guide ; in which it is stated that " having travelled two days, 

 the Indian made him put on the canvass (Pita ?) shoes, take a staff, and 

 follow him." Hence there can be little doubt that if its strength should 

 be made to approximate in any degree to that of hemp, and, still more, if 

 it should be rendered superior, as I think probable, it will be found an 

 important acquisition both to our navy and our colonies. 



Pita being unfortunately a term indiscriminately applied in South Ame- 

 rica to all fibrous plants, however distinct their genera, as Bromeh'«, Agave, 

 Yucca, &c, it becomes important to determine the genuine characters of 

 the Pita de Guataca, which I hope will, before many years more, enable us 

 to do this, by flowering in Pontey's stove. The plant admits of easy pro- 

 pagation, like the Bromeh'e, from suckers, and ought to have a place in 

 every collection. Regretting my inability to furnish more accurate details, 

 I remain, Sir, yours, &c. — W. Hamilton. Plymouth, August 5. 1831. 



P.S. I send you a specimen of the leaves and fibre, and of the cordage 

 made from the fibre ; also a specimen of one of the bracteae. A prize was 

 awarded to Mr. Pontey at Easter, last year, for this valuable plant. — 

 W. H. 



The leaf, which was cut off one of the plants in Mr. Pontey's stove, 

 is 2 ft. long ; and, to the extremities of the short prickles, about 3-| in. broad 

 in its middle part, where it is widest : it is of a thin texture, and therefore 

 renders it possible that the " thickness of three or four inches," ascribed to 

 it in the preceding communication, is a mistake for so much in width. The 

 bractea is sufficiently described above. The fibre is similar to that of hemp, 

 but harsher to the touch, and of a silvery hue. The cord, or log line, made 

 from the fibre in His Majesty's dockyard at Plymouth, consists of three 

 strands, as log lines usually do, and appears to possess all the requisites of 

 the very best cordage. — Cond. 



Vol. VIII. — No. 37. b 



