SOS FIBRES OP tUB l>lNR-Al»I»tE I,EAVES. 



Chinese, (in coiiipany with Mt. Lorraiu and the 

 B©v. Wt, ItoraB,) aitti^ed in iM vicinity id tlie 

 settlement, for tlio ])iiri)o^;e of witaessiiig the 



preparation of tlie f\]nv> from the heaves of tlic 

 Ananas, or wihl pine apjih', whicli hlires, after 

 being prepared by a very simple proeess, 

 are spotted to Chinas, mi tised in the 

 tasaiufactuTe of linens, The Chinese, who 

 prepared the leaves before ns, said, he ^i'ot one 

 rupee and a half the catty for the filn-e ; it was 

 in.textm*e, when manufactured, very similar to 

 llbMlSmtZSi^^^fym%^^^G qnality, midtfeere 

 is abo mme^ AtaSLsan^f m the manui^ in which xi 



is wroui2;ht. The leaves recently gathered (and 

 the longest and oldest are those whieli appear to 

 be selected for the purpose) are laid upon a 

 boaird!, aiid |he epidermis is removed by ^ hisja4 

 knife, iKitiJiiaKke in form to a shoemaker's pSGiiug 

 knife ; upon its removal from the upper Stfrfa^C^ 

 of the leaf, the long" and beautiful fibres were 

 seen lying upon the lower and denser epiderniis, 

 rtnuung in a longitnitnal direettoit^ the fas^ 

 efcnli -of fibres were then readily detached 

 eitlier by the hand or by being rmsed with the 

 broad knife. 



Some cj^iiantity of this material is annually 

 exported to dhkar» and at Mbiiite a^ rery d^i- 

 cate and heautiJid fabric is made from tlie fibres 



