40 PINE-APPLE FIBRE IN ASSAM AND MADRAS. 
of fibres were then readily detached by the hand on being 
raised with the broad knife. 
The separation of the fibre of the ananas is practised in 
other places besides the Phillipine Islands. The Singapore 
Committee forwarded specimens (Tali nanas) from Malacca, as 
well as some of three different qualities prepared at Singapore, 
and a portion as ready for weaving, that is, with the ends 
gummed, or joined together by some adhesive substance ; thus 
forming the “invisible knots”? of an old author. Specimens 
were also sent from Java and the island of Celebes. 
Dr. Roxburgh does not appear to have paid much attention 
to the separation of the ananas fibre; but in the year 1839, a 
lady (Miss Davy) sent specimens of a thread prepared from 
the wild pine-apple plant of Assam, of various degrees of fine- 
ness, observing that the thread must be prepared when the 
leaves are green, as nothing can be done with them in a dry 
state. Miss Davy subsequently sent specimens of cloth manu- 
factured from this thread to the Agricultural Society of Calcutta, 
observing that she had had much difficulty in getting it woven, 
as the principal manufacturers in Dacca positively refused to 
undertake making it into cloth. A weaver in the jungles near 
Dacca, afterwards undertook to do so, and wove the cloth 
which was sent. Of this, Miss Davy had some embroidered 
in silver,—a style of work in which the natives of that 
part of the country excel. The specimens of the fibre were 
shown by Mr. E, Solly to spinners in this country, but who 
did not consider it could be substituted for flax in the manu- 
facture of textile fabrics. A patent was, however, taken out 
by Mr. Zincke, for the manufacture of thread from this fibre, 
because, when bleached, it could be spun in the same way as 
flax. The process of bleaching, by destroying the adhesion 
between the bundles of fibres, renders it much finer; and 
hence enables it to be extended between the rolls in the pro- 
cess of spinning. He considers that, from its beautiful silky 
lustre, combined with considerable strength, it is well adapted to 
form a substitute for linen. 
These pine-apple fibres (anasa nara), and the tow or 
oakum from them, were also sent from Madras and from Tra- 
vancore, showing that the art of separating these fibres is ex- 
tensively diffused. Dr. Hunter received some very fine, strong, 
