348 THE CALOERE IDENTIFIED WITH CHINA-GRASS. 
A bale of this fibre having been given to Mr. Lee, the 
inventor of the machine mentioned at p. 221, he observed that 
the fibre appeared to have been peeled off the plant while it was 
in a green state, and that this rendered it of less value, He 
conceived that it would be more easily cleaned if the plants 
were taken dry, without water-steeping or dew-retting. But 
when cleaned the fibre is strong, soft, and fine, and of more 
value than the best Russian Hemp. 
Two more bales were sent in December, 1814, to the Court of 
Directors by Dr. F. Buchanan, who had succeeded Dr. Roxburgh, 
with a letter, dated 16th December, 1814, from which the 
following is an extract: “I beg leave to mention that the 
Caloee plant is by no means a new species of Urtica, as Dr. 
Roxburgh supposed. It is the Urtica nivea of Willdenow and 
the Ramium majus of Rumphius.’ (‘Flora Amboin.,’ y, t.79, 
fig. 1.) “The plant under the name of Kankora has from time 
immemorial been cultivated in the Dinagpur and Rongypur 
districts of Bengal, and its fibres are used for a few purposes 
that require great strength with little thickness, but the expense 
of cleaning the fibrous part has always prevented it from coming 
into general use.” He therefore proposed discontinuing the 
cultivation. But if we refer to Roxburgh’s ‘ Flora Indica,’ iii, 
p. 591, then, certainly, in manuscript, we find that he was 
quite aware of his plant being identical with that of Rumphius, 
though it appeared to him to differ from the description of 
the U. nivea of Willdenow. 
We observe that it was considered at that time that Indian 
fibres could never be introduced into this country, as the freight 
could not be calculated on at less than £12 per ton, of fifty 
cubic feet. | Now about 30,000 tons weight are imported. 
The Court, in a dispatch dated 8th May, 1816, in sending 
out some of Lee’s machines (p. 222), and referring to this plant, 
observed: “The Caloee is a plant that appears to be com- 
' Rumphius observes, respecting tbe separation of the fibre, that it is more easily 
effected when the stem is in a dry state: “Caulium cortex tenuis est, inque fila findi 
potest prasertim in siccata planta;” and, again, “‘ Caules autem isti sponte siccari de- 
bent tum facile separatur ipsorum cortex, qui in fila commode findi potest.” “ Alii 
adultos sumunt viridis herbe caules, ipsorumque deglubunt exteriorem viridem, et 
succosum, corticem ad interiorem album librum qui ligno incumbit, quum in tenuis- 
sima findunt fila.” (1. ¢., p. 214.) | He further says, “ It is diligently cultivated in 
all places inhabited by the Orang Badjos.” 
