to 
MATS. 
pounding it with a heavy club on a hard 
wooden-post. After much pounding the 
spongy matter, or ligneous fecula, is complete- 
ly beaten out, rising all the time as a dust, 
much to the irritation of the workers who 
must certainly consume the proverbial “peck” 
in a comparatively short time. 
The husk is sometimes soaked in water be- 
fore pounding and will remain there for over 
twelve months without rotting. 
To make the mats, the prepared coir is 
worked into lengths of “trump” (a kind of 
roughly made rope) and interlaced between 
coir ropes on a framework, one row of trump 
being very firmly pressed against another. 
The colour is brown, and the black patches, 
often seen in the mats, are due to the use of 
a dye made of logwood and iron. 
Brooms and brushes are also made from 
coir. Many of these coir articles are made 
at the General Penitentiary, Kingston. It is 
sedentary work, done in the shade, and happy 
are the prisoners who have it allotted to them. 
But a limited number, and only the more 
weakly ones, get it and they are the envy of 
their confreres, but a short distance off, toil- 
ing in the sun under a head load of stones or 
bricks. However, so well are they all treated 
that brick-maker, stone-breaker and coir-beat- 
er on being released often soon return to 
again enjoy the taxpayers’ hospitality ! 
The Palmetto straw mats (PI. II. 8) are 
used within the house — varying considerably 
in size. The making of these mats is generally 
