GREAT STRENGTH OF CALOEE FIBRE. 347 
species of Urtica, which he named U. tenacissima, because he 
considered it one of the strongest fibres he had ever met with. 
He first became acquainted with it in consequence of four plants 
having been sent to him by Mr. Ewer from Bencoolen,in Sumatra. 
He afterwards wrote that “some thousand plants have been 
reared from these four, so readily does it grow and multiply ;” 
in fact, that “it may be grown from cuttings as readily as the 
willow.” He further describes it as thriving anywhere, but 
most luxuriantly in shade, where there is much moisture. In 
four months it attains the height of eight or ten feet, when its 
shoots flower and can be cut down. Other shoots then spring 
up, which are also soon fit to be cut; and so on successively for 
almost any period. If left alone, the plant will in a short time 
produce a complete jungle. He, however, experienced con- 
siderable difficulty in separating the fibre. The Malays, he 
learned, merely steep the shoots in water for ten or twelve days, 
peel off the bark, and dry it in the sun. 
Besides its strength, he considered that the beauty, fineness, 
and softness of the fibre, are also greatly in its favour. In 
Sumatra it is called Caloee; but the Malays call it Ramee, and 
use the fibre for sewing thread, for twine, and for making 
fishing nets. Marsden states, that the shoots are cut down, 
dried, and beaten, after which the rind is stripped off; but 
Dr. Roxburgh did not find this method to succeed with him.- 
He was afterwards informed by a friend at Canton that the 
grass cloth of China was made from the fibres of this plant. 
In the year 1810 three bales of this Caloee fibre were sent 
to the India House, having been produced in the Botanic 
Garden at Calcutta, In December, 1811, one of these bales 
was sent to Messrs. Sharpe, then of Mark Lane. On the 4th 
Feb., 1812, they reported, that having brought the Caloee fibre 
to the state of Hemp for the use of cordage, a thread was spun, 
of the size of those spun in the King’s Rope-yards, which bore 
252 lb., whereas the weight required to be borne in his 
Majesty’s yards by Russian Hemp of the same size is only 82 lb. 
Other bales were subsequently received on several occasions, 
and in 1815 one was sent to Dr. Taylor, of the Society of Arts. 
The Society voted one of their medals to Capt. J. Cotton, of the 
East India Company, for his efforts in introducing this fibre 
into this country. 
