256 ON HEMP. 



trial, and laid before the Board, finding it as near as may be two for 

 one. The Sunn thus made hath the disadvantage of being more 

 elastic, from not being so well cleansed from the gummy matter, as 

 when reeded in the water, the fibre in that case being well washed 

 and wrung after being separated from the reed, which, when dried 

 on the reed, is of course omitted. 



Board of Trade Cons. 4th Dec. 1801. 



Soonamooky. — As at first no latitude was given to depart from 

 the instructions as to preparing it, no Riotts would venture to engage. 

 They promised to make trial of it in small quantities. They were 

 of opinion, that it would be impossible to separate the fibre from the 

 stem after the first drying had taken place ; but being at length con- 

 vinced that their ideas on this head were erroneous, he began to enter* 

 tain hopes that they would have prepared it properly ; — when an in- 

 undation took place, and destroyed the plants. He fears the labour 

 of peeling will be difficult to overcome. 



Reeding, in the way recommended by the Abb6 Brulles, 

 answered tolerably well ; and would have done better, had not 

 the plant been stunted, woody, and bitten with the musketoes, 

 which hardens the fibre to the boon, where tbey wound it; which 

 was pretty general with all the plants, and attended with the neces- 

 sity of longer steeping. 



Reeding is liable to the same objection as Peeling, — the time it 

 requires. 



The Hand-Brake failed altogether. The Sunn was so brittle 

 after the drying, that the fibre broke with the boon in the teeth ; 



and 



