RATTAN CANES. 



167 



Europe, and more especially Eussia^ that it is used in mak- 

 ing the Bast mats. For this purpose the stems have longi- 

 tudinal cuts made through their entire lengthy at the proper 

 season; the cuts are so made that the whole of the bark 

 comes off in long strips. The outer and inner barks 

 easily separate, and the latter being dried is the material 

 we call ^"^Bast/^ This is then plaited into mats about a 

 yard and a half to two yards square, which are most ex- 

 tensively used for packing various kinds of goods, and for 

 lining the holds of vessels intended to receive corn; they 

 are also m.ucli used by gardeners^ nothing better having 

 yet been found for the purpose of tying up plants. It is 

 computed that the enormous number of 14,000,000 are 

 annually imported into Great Britain from the various ports 

 of Eussia, but chiefly from Archangel. 



Eattans, Eattan Canes. — Calamus Rotang and various 

 other species. (jN'at. Ord. Palmacece.) (Plate YIII. fig. 39.) 



These very singular palms grow in tufts of very long 

 slender stems, with the leaves at considerable distances 

 apart. They rise amongst the larger trees of the tropical 

 forests, over which they throw their immensely long 

 stems, giving the appearance of cordage stretched from 

 tree to tree. These stems are remarkably flinty on 



