PINE-APPLE FIBRE AT SINGAPORE. 39 
that the plant appears as if it were quite a natural production. 
Dr. Helfer describes the Pine-apple as so abundant in the 
Tenasserim provinces, as to be sold in Amherst Town in the 
months of June and July at the rate of one rupee for a boat- 
load. It chiefly abounds in low grounds, though it is also to 
be found in the hills amongst the Kareans. The natives know 
it only by the American name, which they transform into 
Nannah thi—thi designating fruit. They do not seem to be 
acquainted with the beautiful fibre yielded by the leaves. 
The Pine-apple is described as growing in great abundance in 
the Phillipine Islands, but as producing only a small, rather dry 
fruit. But we require some precise information to enable us to 
judge whether this is actually the plant escaped from cultiva- 
tion. M. Perrotet considers it a distinct species, and has 
named it Bromelia Pigna, from the Spanish name Pigna or 
Pina, signifying a cone. There, this wild plant is valued on 
account of the fine hair-like fibres which are separated from 
out of the leaves. Of these fibres, the celebrated pine-apple 
cloth of the Phillipimes, sometimes called “ batiste d’ananas,”’ 
and resembling the finest muslin-like fabric, is woven. This 
is embroidered by the nuns of the convents in Manilla, with 
great skill and taste. Some beautiful specimens of these, 
under the name of Pina muslin, were to be seen in the 
Exhibition of 1851. This is sometimes called grass-cloth, but 
erroneously. With a magnifier the fibres may be seen to be 
very numerous and fine, but not twisted at all, as in grass- 
cloth or the finest muslins and cambrics. Mr. Bennett, in 
his ‘ Wanderings,’ observes that one of the coarser fibres may 
be subdivided into threads of such fineness as to be barely 
perceptible, and yet sufficiently strong for any purpose. 
Mr. Bennett mentions visiting a plantation near Singapore, 
made by a Chinaman, for the preparation of the fibres of the 
ananas or wild pine-apple, which are exported to China, being 
used there “in the manufacture of linens.” The Chinese 
said he got 1} rupees the catty, for the fibre. The leaves 
recently gathered—and the largest are preferred—are laid upon 
a board and the epidermis is removed with a broad knife. 
Upon its removal from the upper surface of the leaf, the long 
and beautiful fibres were seen lying upon the lower and denser 
epidermis, running in a longitudinal direction ; the fasciculi 
