THE PLANTATN AXn HANANA TREKS. 401 



jK)!?L>d almost eiitirt'ly ol' s^iiral \ csstils, when cut 

 across ; and so abiindaiiit tliey, as Be eol- 

 lected in liaiidfab, ia tlie Antilles, and form a 



Mud of tinder/' 



The iiiiinhcr of threads ra|>:)hh.' of hciiig (h'awn 

 from each convolution of these spiral vessels, is 

 from gcven, as M, de Chesnaj has calculated 

 even twetttf4w«it» (I^tem^ Wf J^ The/fmng 

 shoots of ihQ Banana trees make an excellent 

 edihlo. 



The threads procured from the stalks of some 

 species of this family are used for very fine and 

 delicate-tejetttred linen MnsHau At ManSPb 

 tin re I- all extensive manufacture of mtidMSs 

 and .-iunmaya, or grass clotli, from the coarse?^t 

 tn tho fiui>t textore it is possihle to manu- 

 facture, and, sometimes it has been stated, 

 ** tOSdB of ihte& so fine, that they require to 1^ 

 manufactured under wntw, beeasjse, if exposed 

 to the sun and air, tltey lieoomc too fragile to 

 Mork."* Tilt! ('n;j]>e<t lilii'cs of the ,*anu^ plant 

 form the Avaca, ur Manilla hemp of commerce^ 



used tile inimnfactnre'Of«^ Tbi^pe^m 

 of Mttsa k <5pLH«d M, mtiU^ i Hi I do mot con- 

 sider it at all accui*ately known : it forms planta- 



* Abel's Narrative of a Journey in China, &c. &c. 4to. 



p, mi. 



VOL* ri. tf 



