^28 VEGETABLE FIBRES. 



Remarks on some of the Plants or Materials mejitioned in the 

 annexed Table. 



Jeeiee,a strong No. 2. Jeetee, of the Rajemahl-hill people, who make 

 iherto' un- " ^^^^^ bow-strings of \i, which are said to last five years, 

 known to Eu- thoiigli in constant use, and exposed to all sorts of weather, 

 ropeans. j^ jj. ^-^^ ^^^^ of the bark of a very extensile twining, shrubby, 



plant, a new species of Asclepias, discovered by my son, Mr. 

 Wm. Roxburgh, in 1 800, growing wild on the tops of the 

 hills, in the vicinity of Rajemahl. The fibres are prepared by 

 stripping off the bark from the tender, succulent shoots, daring 

 the rainy season, when they are full of sap, and by lernoving 

 the pulpy parts with the nails, or with a piece of sharp-edged 

 hard stick upon a board. Hitherto this beautiful, strong ma- 

 terial, has been unknown to Europeans, and, so far as I have 

 yet been able to learn, only employed by the people of those 

 hilly or mountainous tracts, to make their bow-strings ; con- 

 sequently, it will be difficult to ascertain the quantity that may 

 be annually procured, or the price. All I can say at present 

 is, that four pounds weight of the clean fibres, a friend pro- 

 cured for me, for one rupee (half-a-crown). A drawing and 

 description of this beautiful and useful plant, is in the posses- 

 sion of the Honourable the Court of Directors, under (he name 

 of A'^clepias Tenacissima. 

 Ppolay of the No. 3. Calooee, or Battang-calooee, or Poolay of the 

 Malays. Malays, a new, shrubby species of Urtica. The cord em- 



ployed was made of fine sail-twine, sent from Bencoolen by 

 Mr. Ewer, and was made by the Malays of that place. Its 

 strength is very great, and the beauty and fineness of the fibre 

 adds to its recommendation. But what quantity is procurable, 

 or the price of it, I am at present unacquainted, l^he plant 

 has, however, been introduced into the botanic-garden at 

 Calcutta, where, in little more than one year, above one 

 thousand plants were reared from four, which were received 

 from Mr. Ewer, the Governor of Bencoolen. I made a draw- 

 ing and description, now in the possession of the Honourable 

 the Court of Directors, ot one of these plants, which flowered 

 in November, ISOt. 

 Tlie Sun plant. No. 4 to 9. The sun, on which the experiments stated in 

 the table were made, was sown between the Ilth and isth of 

 June^ 1801, and cut at fourteen different ages, beginning on 



the 



