49 
writing has been impressed on the paper, the whole is smeared with a 
coating of varnish obtained from the “ton jang,” in order to fix the 
characters and prevent erasures 
The black books are extensively used in the native law courts for the 
taking of evidence, &c. The evidence is written do eans of a 
e of 
h pa 
emendations be required. It is then read over to the witness or other 
person, as the case may be, and bound round with string, a seal of mud 
being affixed on the centre, in order to prevent the opening of the 
document until it is required at _ trial. The snoring then makes a 
mark in the os ses with his nail, or, according to a more recent 
custom, is given a small wooden pal. with which he ham the mud, 
and which he carefully preserves for A hay of trial. 
A scale of prices of the ous kinds of paper “ee is mabon the 
numbers E with the numbers docketed on the 
forwarded, 
8. 
Book No. I. (white), equal to 5 phanengs*=1 3 
” 9 oaks ” ” 4 ” =0 9 
” ” I. = ” 5 ” oe 0 
»  » ID 2 ” =0 43 
Gee TER, (unfin hed), 4 5 = 9 
“atada quality) = 
Samples of the bark in its different stages of manufacture are also 
forwarded, numbered and mar ed according to the successive stages 
illustrate the manufacture of native paper as I have been able to 
procure. 
W. R. D. BECKETT. 
The specimens illustrating the sanai which have been deposited i in 
the Kew Museums are as follows : 
Section of trunk of tree ; a fia of netting ; native an white and 
black ; samples of material in various stages of preparation ; hammer 
for beating bark ; a mixing pot, with pigments and pens for writing. 
SIR, Kew, sete December, 1887. 
from Her Majesty’s Charge @ Affaires at eres k, berated ae a report 
fr s 
u us asper. 
h f speci s have been duly received. The collection 
is extremely interesting and instructive, and the objects transmitted are 
a very desirable accession to the museum of this establishment, whee 
this curious industry has hitherto been whol paraa 
I venture to expr pvi a hope that the Secretary of State will be 
pan e convey to Mr. Gould an intimation of his kern at the 
courteous and seii lenge manner in which Mr. Gould has assisted 
this establishm men 
r oe is proposed o publish the report in an early number of the Kew 
u 
Sir Philip W. Currie, G.C.B. W. T. THISELTON-DYER. 
* Or sheets, 
8895 D 
Mo.Bot. Garden, 
1902. 
