Fiji and the Fijians . log flattened on thetop side is so fixed as to spring a little; and on this the strips of masiare beaten with an iki, or mallet, about two inches square, and groovedlongitudinally on three of its sides. Two lengths of the wet masi aregenerally beaten together, in order to secure greater strength ; thegluten which they contain being sufficient to keep their fibres two-inch strip can thus be beaten out to the width of a foot and ahalf; but the length is at the same time reduced. The pieces are neatlylapped together with the starch of the taro, or arrow-root boiled
Fiji and the Fijians . log flattened on thetop side is so fixed as to spring a little; and on this the strips of masiare beaten with an iki, or mallet, about two inches square, and groovedlongitudinally on three of its sides. Two lengths of the wet masi aregenerally beaten together, in order to secure greater strength ; thegluten which they contain being sufficient to keep their fibres two-inch strip can thus be beaten out to the width of a foot and ahalf; but the length is at the same time reduced. The pieces are neatlylapped together with the starch of the taro, or arrow-root boiled whole,and thus reach a length of many yards. I measured a dress intendedfor a King on a festive day, and found its length to be one hundred andeighty yards. The widths are also joined by the same means later-ally, so as to form pieces of fifteen or thirty feet square ; and upon thesethe ladies exhaust their ornamenting skill. The middle of the squareis printed with a red brown, by the following process. Upon a convex.
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Keywords: ., bookauthorwilliams, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, bookyear1859
