94 CABLES MADE OF RATTANS. 
ropes in these Eastern regions, and employed, among other 
things, for dragging great weights, and for binding untamed 
elephants. So Dampier says: “ Here we made two new cables 
of rattans, each of them four inches about. Our captain bought 
the rattans, and hired a Chinese to work them, who was very 
expert in making such wooden cables. These cables I found 
serviceable enough after, in mooring the vessel with either of 
them; for when I carried out the anchor, the cable being 
thrown out after me, swam like cork in the sea, so that I could 
see when it was tight ; which we cannot so well discern in our 
hemp cables, whose weight sinks them down—nor can we 
carry them out but by placing two or three boats at some dis- 
tance asunder, to buoy up the cable, while the long boat rows 
out the anchor.” The tow-ropes mentioned by Marco Polo as 
used by the Chinese for tracking their vessels on their nume- 
rous rivers and canals, seem also to have been made of cane— 
and not of bamboo, as sometimes stated—as they were split 
in their whole length of about thirty feet, and then twisted 
together into strong ropes some hundred feet in length. 
Mr. G. Bennett says, in his ‘ Wanderings,’ ii, p. 121, that 
he “ remarked some Chinese one morning near Macao, engaged 
in making some very durable ropes from rattan. The rattans 
were split longitudinally, soaked, and attached to a wheel, 
which one person was keeping in motion, whilst another was 
binding the split rattans together, adding others to the length 
from a quantity he carried around his waist, until the required 
length of the rope was completed.” 
Though apparently insignificant, Canes yet form a considera- 
ble article of commerce, inasmuch as in some years between 
four and five millions of them have been exported from the 
territories under the government of the East India Company. 
Though not employed for their fibres, yet as connected with 
the different kinds of the genus Calamus, we may mention the 
different Canes which are imported. Most of them are pro- 
duced by species of Calamus. For the commercial names of 
these we are indebted to Mr. W. Sangster. The walking sticks 
called “ Penang Lawyers” are the stems of a small Palm called 
Licuala acutifida, as also mentioned at p. 96. 
The Ground Rattan is distinguished by its straight head, 
and straight and stiff character altogether, as well as by its 
