68 PREPARATION OF MANILLA HEMP. 
Don Luis Nee describes the Abaca as being dressed like 
flax on a kind of heckle—a sort of saw which operates like the 
heckle (Blanco). Mr. Piddington describes it as a bamboo 
scraper, into the slit of which the Abaca is introduced, and 
which being dragged downwards, acts as a scraper on both 
sides. The stuffs, when woven, are soaked in warm water 
(lime-water, Blanco) for twenty-four hours, after which they 
are soaked in cold water, then put into rice-water, and, lastly, 
washed as before—by which means they acquire lustre, softness, 
and a white colour. Some are also dyed, and take different 
colours (as blue and red). Others are embroidered. 
Few are imported into Europe, but seem often to be con- 
founded with grass-cloth. 
These details have been given in order that the proper treat- 
ment may be followed if the plant is cultivated in India; or 
some of them may be applied to the other kinds of Musa cul- 
tivated in India-—the fibres of some of which may have a por- 
tion of the properties of the Manilla Hemp as cordage. Mr. 
Piddington had no doubt that when the Manilla Hemp was 
better known, it would be more appreciated, especially if pro- 
perly manufactured: the great defect of Manilla-made rope 
being its stiffness in rainy weather, arising from the coarseness 
of the yarns—not more than three being used to a strand, 
which should have nine or twelve. This, Mr. Piddington had 
ascertained in a vessel commanded by himself, in which both 
kinds were used; and the latter (made by himself) was at all 
times as pliant as hemp. It bears tarring well, and he had 
known it used for lower rigging with success. 
In a subsequent volume of the ‘ Transactions,’ in the year 
1840, Mr. Stewart Mackenzie, then Governor of Ceylon, for- 
warded to the Agricultural Society of India, a specimen of 
Manilla rope, with a note from Mr. Higgs, Master-Attendant 
at Trincomalee, In this the latter observes, “that shortly after 
the arrival of the Melville in this country, in 1832, Sir John 
Gore procured rather a large supply of the different sizes (of 
Manilla rope) for the squadron, from seven inches to one inch, 
In that ship we made extensive use of it, reeving it on one 
side of the ship against Europe rope on the opposite side, and 
it is from a close observation of its merits, that I have formed 
the opinion of its being very superior to Europe rope in this 
