Dr. Forster on the Art of Maknig Cloth. 23 



After giving extracts from Cook and Anderson, the atitTior continues : — 



" Some extracts from Obsen-ations of Reinhold Forster, made during a voyage 

 in the year 1772, round the world in his ]\Iajest3-'s sloops the Resolution and Adven- 

 ture; a book much neglected, upon account of ]\Ir. Forster's adhering to that justlv 

 exploded s^'Stem of making ever}' thing tallj- with the ancient dreams of dead and 

 rotten Jews. '^ 



"The art of making cloth is comprehended under man}' branches, the materials 

 of which the}- are nianufaftured are different. In general the cloths are made from 

 the bark of trees. The best sort of cloth is from the bark Aouta, or Morus Pap_vri- 

 fera; this plant is carefully ciiltivated in good and rich soil, which the natives take 

 care to manure and prepare for the better growth of these plants, b}- mixing with all 

 kinds of shells : the ground which they destine for the nurserj- of the Aoiita is com- 

 monl}- enclosed bv deep trenches, in order to prevent men and animals from hurting 

 the 3-oung trees. In this soil they plant the young shoots of the Aouta in regular 

 rows, at the distance of about eighteen inches, or two feet ; they lop off the leaves and 

 branches that are sprouting out, which operation increases the main shoot, and invigor- 

 ates its growth. As soon as the saplings have attained the size of an inch diameter, 

 and height of six or eight feet, the}- are drawn up, the roots and tops are cut off, and 

 such parts of the roots as have 3'oung shoots are carefully preserved and planted 

 again, and the straight main shoot, the bark is slit up longitudinally, and put into a 

 running stream, under a board loaded with stones. When the water has rendered the 

 filamentous part of the bark more flexible, dissolved the gumonous substance which 

 joins them, and softened the pulpj^ intermediate substance, then the women scrape the 

 bark in or near the water, on a smooth board, set in an oblique diredlion ; a thin 

 bivalve the Tellina gargadia, is the instrument they make use of for this purpose, 

 and frequently dip the bark in the water during the operation: the small narrow slips 

 thus prepared, are carefully spread on plaintain leaves, to the breadth and length 

 which the piece of cloth is intended to make, or which the quantit}' of bark will admit ; 

 and in this condition they remain a whole night, and from the residuous gummosity of 

 the bark, the fine filaments are so closely joined, that the whole makes, next day, but 

 one piece. After the water is drained or evaporated, great judgment is observed in 

 spreading the slips of bark ; for as they are not of equal thickness, they are often 

 obliged to mend those places where the bark was too thin: these large pieces are 

 carried to the sheds somewhat remote from their habitations, where the women join in 

 working; one or more sit at a long smooth square piece of timber, on wliicli they beat 

 the cloth with a square instrument of heavy wood, called Toa; each of the sides of 



" Forster's Remarks on the Human Species, p. 444. 



