A VOYAGE TO 
*777- whole procefs of making cloth, which is the principal ma- 
*—— nufaCture of thefe illands, as well as of many others in this 
Ocean. In the narrative of my brb Voyage-, a minute 
defcription is given of this operation, as performed at 
Otaheite; hut the procefs, here, differing in fome parti- 
culars, it may be worth while to give the following account 
of it: 
The manufacturers, who are females, take the {lender 
balks or trunks of the paper-mulberry, which they culti¬ 
vate for that purpofe ; and which feldom grows more than 
fix or feven feet in height, and about four fingers in thick- 
nefs. From thefe they brip the bark, and ferape off the 
outer rind with a mufcle-fhell. The bark is then rolled 
up to take off the convexity which it had round the balk, 
and macerated in water for fome time (they fay, a night). 
After this, it is laid acrofs the trunk of a fmall tree fquared, 
and beaten with a fquare wooden inbrument, about a foot 
long, full of coarfe grooves on all bdes; but, fometimes, 
with one that is plain. According to the bze of the bark, 
a piece is foon produced; but the operation is often re- 
• peated by another hand, or it is folded feveral times, and 
beat longer, which feems rather intended to clofe than to 
divide its texture. When this is fudiciently effected, it is 
fpread out to dry; the pieces being from four to bx, or 
more, feet in length, and half as broad. They are then 
given to another perfon, who joins the pieces, by frnear- 
ing part of them over with the vifeous juice of a berry, 
called tooo, which ferves as a glue. Having been thus 
lengthened, they are laid over a large piece of wood, with 
a kind of bamp, made of a bbrous fubbance pretty clofely 
interwoven, placed beneath. They then take a bit of cloth, 
* Hawkefworth’s Collection of Voyages, Vol. ii. p. 210. 
and 
