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FEEJEE GROUP 



knives are made of the outside of a piece of bamboo, which is cut 

 down for the purpose and put into the proper form while green. 

 After it has dried for a time it is charred, which makes it very hard 

 and sharp. It may be fitted for surgical operations by charring it a 

 second time, and grinding it down on a smooth stone. 



The potters also constitute a separate caste, of which the women 

 only exercise the art, and do no other work. They dig the clay, 

 and carry it in baskets to the village, where they knead and temper 

 it with sand to the proper degree of tenacity. Their tools are very 

 simple, namely : a flat mallet (tala) ; a small round flat stone (vatu) ; 

 and a circular cushion made of cocoa-nut leaves. 



A lump of the tempered clay is first taken, which is fashioned 

 somewhat into the shape of the part of the vessel the workwoman 

 desires to form ; the stone then being introduced in the inside, the 

 mallet or spatula is used on the outside with the left hand. The 

 different parts are all fashioned or made separately, and afterwards 

 joined. The joints are very neatly closed and finished, so much so as 

 to escape detection. The strokes with the mallet are exceedingly hard 

 at first, but as the vessel approaches the intended shape they become 

 more gentle, and the finish is given by smooth pressing. Many of 

 the vessels are extremely graceful in shape, and must require a very 

 true eye to form the various parts so as to fit. The figures or 

 tracings that are seen upon them are executed by young girls with 



