FIBRES OF THK PINE-APPtK ttSAVK*. "209 



of this plant. The aloes likewise yield a fine 

 applical)]e%r various inamifacture&.^ .1 atn 

 misprised iSamt €te Hew SSa^ikmii <tlie fi&j^s 

 from the foliage of tlie pW^pple plant, and 



other?, are not n>e<) in onr mrinufnetiirinj^ king- 

 dom, wliere, there is no doubt, they would form 

 a valiiable addition to our raw materials for use 

 in vtifioftm iiovd iiaatj^^tpi^^* ^tte % 

 selves or in conjtiatstiefll wil3t other materials. 

 The fir<t ;i]>|)enrance of the pine-a])[de fibre 

 would not cause one to sn])pose it to l)0 so re- 

 markably fine as it really is ; but, by taking one 

 coai^ fib2% it h ibmA be Mpssble Qf Mag 

 snhtlivided into threads of such delicacy* ^ 

 Ijarely pereoptiltlo, and yet sufficiently strong for 

 an}^ purposes. ) This plantation abounded in 



♦ " At Araboyna," says LabUlardiere, the natives con- 

 trive to procofe tBii^iiaifi fi^'thrt^tiirdial0&, can«d A^^, 



I'tripfftfi : the master of the house wont and cut a l)miH'lt of" 

 t\us plant, and resting it on its thigh in order to scrape it 

 witli T)?s latgetdiffe, and tftke off its pulp, bfe i^taitl^dNitiit 

 a fascick^ of* threads as long as the leaf^ m& $m ^dng m 

 those of owr best Jienip*" 



f Brotti the &spkise alten^iig labour, welt at !tB 

 acaipefity in this settlement, the pine-apple fibre could not be 

 prepared at present uuder thirty-eight or forty dollars the 

 pecul: tiBttn Phiangi <»• other places, where labour is cheap, 

 and, as fa the prcparatSpii af ll^ article, women and children 

 may he employed, tlie expense attending it would f^rUly 

 exceed ten dollars per pecul. 



VOL. a» 



