- INDIAN BAST. 237 
about 3,500,000 mats are exported from Russia, and about 
500,000 to 800,000 are annually imported into this country. 
They are made of the bark of the Lime or Linden tree, which, 
when stripped off, is also made into shoes, cordage, sacks for 
corn, &. The Linden tree is not found in India; but there 
are many which belong to the same family of plants found 
there, some of which probably yield similar products, possibly 
one or two of those to which I now wish to draw atten- 
tion. 
“ Among the raw products sent from the province of Arra- 
can, there were six kinds of Bast (which there seems to be 
called Shaw), with specimens of rope made with them. They 
were named-—l, Theng-ban shaw; 2, Pa-tha-you shaw; 3, 
Shaw-phyoo ; 4, Ngan-tsoung shaw; 5, Shaw-nee; 6, Eee-gywot 
shaw. Observing that some of these, from their strength, flexi- 
bility, and softness, were well calculated to answer the purposes of 
the Bast in ordinary use, I sent some specimens to Dr. Lindley, 
and requested him to have their useful properties ascertained 
in the Horticultural Society’s Garden at Chiswick. As he 
informed me that both the Superintendents, Messrs. Thompson 
and Gordon, reported very favorably of them, I requested the 
latter to give me a detailed report, including all such infor- 
mation as would be useful to merchants in Arracan. The 
kinds sent to him were No. 2, Pa-tha-you shaw; 3, Shaw- 
phyoo; and one marked Sanseviera zeylanica, was probably a 
specimen from Cuttack. 
“Though well aware that the freight must always operate 
against a bulky article of low price brought from so great a 
distance, yet there are occasions when, from a stoppage of, or 
a deficient supply from, ordinary sources, a rise of price ensues, 
which might be taken advantage of at a place on the coast like 
Akyab. I would, therefore, beg to suggest that the accom- 
panying report should be sent to India for the information of 
the merchants in Arracan, or for publication in the journals 
in India, At all events, a knowledge of the good qualities of 
these Indian Basts might lead to their employment in India, 
and to their export to less distant countries than England. As 
it is possible that merchants in Arracan might wish to make 
mats in imitation of the Russian, I would suggest that a piece 
of one of these might be sent there; as by this the thickness 
