THE TECHNOLOGIST. [April 1, 1864. 



400 FRENCH COLONIAL PRODUCTS IN 



of French authority in these islands, the animal produce amounted to 

 1,400,000 kilogrammes, at the present time it has decreased to 16,000 

 kilogrammes, and even this small produce is far from being of a first- 

 rate quality. The cotton cultivation was transplanted from here by 

 emigrants to South Carolina and the islands of those shores, and per- 

 haps the best variety, known as Sea Island, or Georgia long-stapled, 

 owes its origin to this casual event, an incident which is considered 

 at the present day one of the chief agents of the material prosperity of 

 the Southern States of North America, the yearly produce having 

 amounted before the civil war to four and a half million kilogrammes, 

 a value of more than two million pounds sterling. The cottons of Guada- 

 loupe, Martinique, Guiana, and the Senegal territory have likewise 

 given the most satisfactory results, founded on a long series of experL 

 ments ; bnt notwithstanding the favourable conditions of the climate 

 and the fertility of the soil, its cultivation, despite the encouragement 

 the Government has given to the proprietors, has not yet reached a 

 quarter of the height which may be expected. 



Among the other textile substances, one of the most important is the 

 floss or downy silk of Beaumontia grandiflora ; it furnishes an import- 

 ant material in the manufacture of artificial flowers, which are of an 

 exquisite brilliancy and fineness. The inner down of the pods of 

 Ocliroma lag opus, a very common tree of the Antilles, rivals in fineness 

 and lightness that of our eider-down ; the outer one of the same plant is 

 very useful in the manufacture of wadding and felt. According to re- 

 port, large masses of the latter will shortly be imported into France. 

 The vegetable silks and downs of Bonibax Ceiba, B. pentaudrum and 

 Jieptaphyllum, of Asclepias volubilis, and A. curassavica, the fibres of the 

 " mocou-mocou " plant of Guiana (Caladium giganteum) of several 

 specimens of Broraeliacese, very common on the west coast of Africa, 

 must not be overlooked. All these raw stuffs have been the object of 

 serious examination, and they seem to recommend themselves best for 

 the manufacture of paper, as also for making cords and ropes. The 

 natives set us a good example ; they give us, so to speak, the first hints 

 and facilitate our experiments. The art of dyeing claims undoubtedly 

 at the present day a high position in the industrial world, and that 

 France especially is superior in the perfection of its products to all other 

 European countries, everyone who has been in Paris and has visited 

 the " Gobelins '' will admit, for it is difficult to know which to admire 

 most, the fineness of the weaving or the brilliant colours of the tapestry. 

 I cannot forbear mentioning here the beautiful specimens of cochineal 

 from Guadeloupe, which are much richer in carmine than that of 

 Teneriffe, although the latter is more abundantly employed. I give here 

 the following list of plants used in dyeing : Indian sappan, Curcuma, 

 campeachy wood of Martinique ; the wood of Cytisus spinosus, of a gold 

 colour ; the Santal-wood of Gabon, with orange and red dyeing pro- 

 perties; the Mapuria guyanensis, showing a brilliant red, but inferior to 



