1865.] The Vegetation of the Islands of the Indus River. 57 



(Sugee-muttee) with which the material could be cheaply bleached, 

 then to be forwarded to England, to be converted there into finer pulp 

 and paper. 



The great outcry at home since the commencement of the cotton 

 famine has been for material, capable of being converted at a cheap 

 rate, into paper of a fine quality. Coloured materials require much 

 bleaching, and this in England is the expensive part of the process. 

 Now if such a material as Moonj, which costs at the place of 

 growth little more than the labour of cutting, could be bleached 

 thoroughly with the alkali produced on the banks of the river, this 

 would supply the great desideratum of the paper-makers. 



Esparto (Stipa tenacissima) has been very largely used in England 

 within the last three years, but its great drawback is the expense 

 of bleaching it. 



The Moonj is largely employed by the native boatmen in making 

 ropes for their boats, which they manufacture for themselves. 



Saccharum spontdneum, ' Khaus' (Scindee.) This grass grows in 

 great luxuriance. It is chiefly used for thatching purposes, and 

 makes tolerably good grazing for cattle, although as it ages it 

 becomes a very rough coarse grass, when the cattle seem to leave it 

 alone. It begins to flower early in September, and its flowering has 

 just ceased, when the 8. Moonja commences to flower, which is about 

 the beginning of October. 



Typlia (angustifolia f) ' Pun' (Scindee,) is very common in the 

 back waters, but more especially above Sukker. I cannot say it is 

 even common below Sukker. The leaves are largely used for making 

 matting (chuttie) and the soft down attached to the ripe fruit is used 

 for stuffing pillows. The pollen is said by Lindley to be converted 

 into bread in Seine! . Although I made many enquiries relative to it, 

 I could get no information about it. 



On examining the wood brought on board the steamer, (about which 

 Capt. Davis gave me every information and assistance in his power,) 

 I found that nearly the whole of it consisted of the Avood of the 

 Tamarix Indica, and the wood was called Jhao. We occasionally 

 took on board that of the Acacia Arabica called 'Bubber.' But I had 

 to procure specimens of that of the Prosopis Spicigera called ' Kunda,' 

 and of the Popalas EuphrcUica called ' Balm,' 



