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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). 



[Vol. XIX. 



now entirely replaced patangi in many districts. Of these the 

 magenta is unpleasant and the green very fugitive. 



The customary method of dyeing grasses or palm leaves black 

 is to bury them in rice field mud, after soaking in an extract 

 of gallnuts (aralu or bulu). The lower oxide of iron in the 

 mud combines with the tannin to form tannate of iron, or ink. 

 For this information I am indebted to Mr. Kelway Bamber. 

 * A dye prepared from mangrove and called kadol is used in 

 the Kalutara District for dyeing nets, boat sails, and coir, and 

 as a coating for brick floors (information received from the 

 Totamune Mudaliyar). 



A yellow dye is sometimes got from the young fruits of the 

 kaha (Bixa orellana), or from "saffron," (? turmeric) which is 

 pounded in a mortar, extracted with water, and boiled for an 

 hour with the leaves to be dyed. 



The yellow dye of priests' robes is obtained from the wood 

 of the jak (Artocarpus integrifolia) , in an extract of which the 

 cloth to be dyed is soaked ; the extract is sometimes boiled 

 also with bombu leaves. The yellow dye is not permanent, 

 but is easily renewed, and the colour improves with repeated 

 applications. 



The mats made by the Kinnaras from niyanda fibre are 

 coloured red, black, and yellow ; the red is made with patangi 

 with the addition of korakaha leaves and gingelly oil and 

 alum ; the yellow is obtained from the yellow wood of the 

 iveniwel creeper (Coscinium fenestration) and kaha fruits ; the 

 fibre is boiled for a day in a decoction of these ; the black 

 colour is produced with the help of gallnuts (aralu, Terminalia 

 chebula, and bulu, Terminalia beleria) and rice field mud. 



These dyes are satisfactory in appearance, but are not very 

 permanent, and the mats are found to be considerably faded 

 after one or two years. They are however cheap goods and not 

 intended to last for ever. Still it would be very fortunate if 

 some better mordants could be devised, as the aniline dyes 

 (which are not yet used by the Kinnaras, but are much used 

 by other mat and basket weavers) are no better, but rather 



