Sir foscph Banks Tells of the Beati)ig. 9 



rated, and the fibres begin to adhere together, so that the whole may be lifted from the 

 ground without dropping in pieces. It is then taken away by the women servants, 

 who beat it in the following manner: they lay it upon a long piece of wood, one side of 

 which is very even and flat, this side being put under the cloth : as many women then 

 as they can muster, or as can work at the board together begin to beat it. Each is 

 furnished with a baton made of the hard wood, ^/ca {Casuarina equisetifolia): it is 



:FIG. I. A MORE MODERN, BUT NOT DIFFERENT, TAPA BEATING. 



about a foot long and square with a handle; on each of the four faces of the square 

 are many small furrows, whose width differs on each face, and which cover the whole 

 face. They begin with the coarsest side, keeping time with their strokes in the 

 same manner as smiths, and continue until the cloth, which extends rapidly under 

 these strokes, shows by the too great thinness of the groves which are made in 

 it that a finer side of the beater is requisite. In this manner the}- proceed to the 

 finest side, with which they finish; unless the cloth is to be of that verj' fine sort 

 koboo, which is almost as thin as muslin. In making this last the}' double the piece 

 several times, and beat it out again and afterwards bleach it in the sun and air, which 

 in these climates produces whiteness in a ver}' short time. But I believe that the 



