No. 58. — 1907.] NOTES ON CEYLON painting, &c. Ill 



The materials chiefly used in making the best mats are 

 indikola (Phoenix zeylanica) and hewan (Cyperus dehiscens). 

 The proper process of dyeing this with patangi is rather com- 

 plicated, and the practice varies in different districts. At 

 Niriella the process was as follows. On the first day two 

 handfuls of korakaha leaves (Memecylon umbellatum, Burm.) 

 are pounded in a mortar, squeezed out in water by hand, and 

 the resulting liquid, resembling pea soup, strained ; two" 

 handfuls of patangi chips are added and the whole left to stand. 

 On the second day the solution has become red. The patangi 

 chips are removed, pounded, and replaced, and the whole 

 boiled with the indikola which is to be dyed, tied up in little 

 sheaves. The pot is allowed to cool and left till next day. On 

 the third day leaves of bombukola (Symplocos spicata, Roxb.), 

 hin-boivitiya (Osbeckia octandra, D.C.), and korakaha, pieces of 

 kebellabsLrk. (Aporosa Lindleyana, Baill.), and a handful of chips 

 of a yellow wood called ahu (Morinda tinctoria), together with a 

 small bundle of roots of ratmulgas (Knoxia platycarpa, Arn. 

 var.) are pounded and added to the solution in which the 

 indi leaves remain ; the whole is boiled and then allowed to 

 cool and stand till next day, when the leaves are removed 

 and dried, after which they are ready for use. 



I have another receipt from Welimada. To a pound of 

 galeha (another grass used for mats) take two pounds korakaha 

 (or welikaha), half a pound of kiribat-mul (root of Knoxia 

 platycarpa), two pounds patangi powder, four cents weight 

 of green " saffron," half cent weight of lime, and four 

 pots of pure water. Boil for three days with a strong fire 

 in the morning, slow fire during the day, and again strong 

 fire in evening and slow fire during the night. The pot 

 must not be removed from the hearth during the three days, 

 after which the dyed grass can be removed and dried in the 

 shade. 



The colour thus produced is a fine red, which does 

 indeed fade slowly, but lasts as long as the mat is likely to, 

 which is more than can be said of the aniline dyes which have 



