1769. of it : they are placed in lengths of about eleven or twelve
yards, one by the fide of another, till they are about a foot
broad, and. two or three layers are alfo laid one upon the
other: care is taken that the cloth fhall be in all parts of an
equal thicknefs, fo that if the bark happens to be thinner in
any particular part of one layer than the reft, a piece that is
fornewhat thicker is picked out to be laid oyer it in the next,
In this ftate it remains till the morning, when great part of
the water which it contained when it was laid out, is either
drained off or evaporated, and the feveral fibres adhere together,
fo as that the whole may be raifed from the ground
in one piece.
It is then taken away, and laid upon the fmooth fide of a
long piece of wood, prepared for the purpofe, and beaten by
the women fervants, with inftruments about a foot long and
three inches thick, made of a hard wood which they call
Etoa. The fliape of this inftrument is not unlike a fquare
razor ftrop, only that the handle is longer, and each of its
fourfides or faces is marked, lengthways, with fmall grooves,
or. furrows, of different degrees of finenefs; thofe on one
fide being of a width and depth fufficient to receive a fmall
packthread, and the others finer in a regular gradation, fo
that the laft are not more than equal to fewing filk.
They beat it firft with the eoarfeft fide of this mallet, keep-.
ing time like our fmiths; it fpreads very fall under the
ftrokes, chiefly however in the breadth, and the grooves in
the mallet mark it with the appearance of threads ; it is fuc-
ceflively beaten with the other fides, laft withthe fineft, and
is then fit for ufe. Sometimes^ -however, it is made ftill
thinner, by beating it with the fineft fide of the mallet, after
it has been feveral times doubled: it is then called Hoboo, and
is almoft as thin as a muflin; it becomes, very white by being
bleached
bleached in the airi; but is made Hill whiter and fofter by _ 1769.
heing walked and beaten again after.it has.;heen worn.
Of this cloth there are feveral forts, of different degrees
of finenefs; in proportion as it is more or lefs beateri without
being doubled: the other cloth alfo differs in proportion ns
it is beaten ; but they differ from each other in confequence
pf the-different materials of, which they are made. The bark
of the bread-fruit is not taken till the trees are. confiderably
longer and thicker than thofe.of the fig; the procefs after7
wards is the fame.
When cloth is to be wafhed, after it has been Worn, i t is
taken down to the brook, and left to foak, being kept fall to
the bottom, as at firft, by a ftone f i t is then gently wrung
or fqueezed; and fometimes, feveral pieces of it are-laid one
upon another, and beaten togetheewkh the eoarfeft fide of
the mallet, and they; are then equal, in thicknefs to broad?
cloth, and much more foft and agreeable to the touch, after
they have been a little while in ufe, though when they come
immediately from the mallet, they feel as if, they had been
Hatched. This cloth fometimes breaks in the beating, but
is eafily repaired by palling on a patch with a gluten that is
prepared from the root of the Pea, which is done fo nicely
that it cannot be difeovered. The women alfo employ them-
felves in removing blemilhes of every,kind, as our ladies
do in needle-work or knotting; fometimes when their work
is intended to be very fine,.they will pafte an entire covering
of hoboo over the whole. The principal excellencies of this
cloth are its coolnefs and Ibftnefs ; and its imperfections, its
being pervious to water like paper, and almoft as eafily torn.
" • The colours with- which they dye this cloth are principally
red and yellow. The red is exceedingly beautiful, and I
may venture to fay a brighter and more delicate colour-than
E e 2 e any