ON HEMP. 



257 



and by afterwards damping the Sunn, the boon would not separate 

 from the fibre in the heckle. Beetling with a smooth mallet was 

 not more successful. 



Santipore. — The chaul, or outer bark, was removed by 

 striking the bundle of plants on the water a few times after the steep- 

 ing was completed ; and this seems to be the only method by which 

 it can be done. 



Passing the plants through the churky, or rollers, as had been 

 suggested in the Resident's letter of the 18th July, was found to be 

 of disservice, as it flattened the paccautie, or stems, and increased 

 the difficulty of separating them from the fibres. 



Beating with mallets, "as practised at Commercolly and Lucki- 

 pore, was next tried. This appeared to cleanse the bundles of the 

 plants from any remains of the bark or other dirt, and made the ap- 

 pearance of the Sunn whiter ; but it also flattened the stems, and 

 broke them into pieces, so that the difficulty of detaching them from 

 the fibres was much increased. The last, and apparently the best 

 method, was that of placing bundles of the plants between two planks, 

 with weights on the top, and drawing out the stems one by one, pre- 

 viously beating the bundles a little with a few rattans tied together ; 

 which part of the process was meant to produce the effect of the mal- 

 let, in part, by cleaning off any dirt that might remain, and loosening 

 the fibres from the stems, without breaking them ; and I believe it was 

 in these respects useful. I found this method the most expeditious, 

 and observed, that the fibres were less entangled than by any other. 



The 



