520 
FOURTH BULLETIN OF 
[1846. 
ere, called “ dhorices,” and of their boats, are never made close like ours, but filled 
with the loose coir, and sewed with the lacings of bamboo, ratans, and other 
fibrous plants, and the timbers not kept together in any way by nails or spikes. 
The ribs of their boats are also few in number. The reason of this singular con¬ 
struction is, that the surf is so high and dangerous all around the island, that these 
boats are able to stand the terrific thumpings caused bv the heavy swells of the 
ocean, where an American or European boat or vessel of the same size would go 
to pieces in twenty minutes. The value to the island of Ceylon of the cocoa-nut 
tree cannot be far from three millions of pounds per annum. 
The best quality of cinnamon, called the “ true cinnamon,” is only grown in this 
fertile island, not far from the seacoast. The Government have sold out. their mo¬ 
nopoly of the Cinnamon Garden to private parties, who are making a very good 
thing of it, The colony levies an export duty of sixpence a pound, which brings 
in a considerable revenue. The nutmeg, clove, and spice is likewise grown in 
Ceylon, but not as yet to any extent, though the experiments mads have all suc¬ 
ceeded. The black pepper is also grown with much success, but not as an article 
of profit. Cotton has been tried, but will be able to do nothing in competition 
with the American and Indian. 
The Bamboo Cane.— This article is similar in its appearance to the “cane” 
which grows in our southern States, and the numerous purposes to which it is ap¬ 
plied in India and China astonishes an American. It is a much larger variety than 
ours. It is used for fences and hedges, for making paper, for laths, for scaffolding 
for builders, for making rope and cables, (it is always split by sharp drawing knives, 
after being soaked in water, before it is used for this purpose,) making drinking 
cups, baskets, hats, and other uses which it would be difficult to enumerate. The 
consumption of paper manufactured from the bamboo is of almost infinite variety 
of quality in India and China. The bamboo is cut down when not too old, split, 
and then soaked in water. It is afterwards cut up into small billets and pounded 
in mortars until all the fibre is separated and reduced to a pulp. It is said then to go 
through nearly the same method of preparation as we have in America and Europe. 
The paper this is written on is made for the use of foreigners, and is sized with alum 
and a glue made from seaweeds. Some of the finer kinds are made by mixing 
refuse cotton and cotton rags. This quality is made principally at Nankin. Large 
shipments are made to all parts of the Archipelago of the inferior qualities of Chi. 
nese paper. There are two European establishments for manufacturing paper at 
Calcutta which use bamboo freely. The Calcutta press is principally supplied by 
these two establishments. One of them is owned by Mr. Marshman, son of the 
late Dr. Marshman, of t.he English Baptist Missionary Society at Serampore, a 
short distance above Calcutta. The other belongs to a Parsee gentleman. I do 
not see what is to prevent our countrymen from entering into the business by using 
the article which grows so plentifully at the south and west. It evidently only 
wants application and a little attention to show that we can do with the same arti¬ 
cle what the Chinese and Hindoos have done with it from time immemorial. The 
young shoots of the bamboo, as they emerge from the grounds, are also extensively 
used in China as a vegetable and pickle. 
White and black Mustard Seed is grown in large quantities in continental 
India, for the purpose of pressing into oil, which enters into the consumption of 
Indian cookery to a greater extent than any other vegetable oil. It is also used for 
burning where cocoanut oil is dear. The seeds are also exported in large quan¬ 
tities to England, for the manufacture of mustard. Jute is raised in large quanti¬ 
ties in Bengal, for the manufacture of gunny bags and gunny cloth, used in these 
countries for bagging coffee, rice, seeds, &c. The cloth is used for making 
tents, cotton bagging, &c. The raw fibre is used for coarse ropes for the baling 
of cotton, hides, hemp, mats, and various other purposes. 
Linseed is sent in large quantities to England and America for pressing into oil. 
It is chiefly grown in Bengal. The article we call peanuts or groundnuts, in Ame¬ 
rica, is largely used in China and some parts of India for the purpose of making 
into oil for burning. The Chinese use large quantities of it for this purpose, but it 
is not so good as some other vegetable oils for giving light. 
The following is a recipe for making cocoa nut oil soap, which, with bene oil, 
is used exclusively in India, and is very strong. Possibly cotton seed or lard oil 
may be substituted for cocoanut and bene. It has the property of washing in salt 
