Page 315
An. 1686
Plantain Cloath.
boyd' or roafted it is not fo. If this drink is kept above 30 hours it grows fharp: but if then it be put out into the Sun, it will become very good Vine- gar. This fruit grows all over the Weft Indies (in the proper Climates) at Guinea, and in the Eaft Indies.
As the Fruit of this Tree is of great ufe for food, fo is the Body no lefs ferviceable to make cloaths; but this I never knew till I came to this Ifland. The ordinary People of Mindanao do wear no other cloath. The Tree never bearing but once, and fo being fell'd when the Fruit is ripe; they cut it down clofe by the ground, if they intend to make Cloath with it. One blow with a Macheat, or Long Knife, will ftrike it afunder: then they cut off the top, leaving the Trunk 8 or 10 foot long, ftripping off the outer Rind, which is thickeft towards the lower end; having ftript 2 or 3 of thefe Rinds, the Trunk becomes in a manner all of one bignefs, and of a whitifh colour: Then they fplit the Trunk in the middle, which being done, they fplit the 2 halves again, as near the middle as they can. This they leave in the Sun 2 or 3 days, in which time part of the juicy fubftance of the Tree dries away, and then the ends will appear full of fmall threads. The women, whofe employment it is to make the Cloath, take hold of thofe threads one by one, which rend away eafily from one end of the Trunk to the other, in bignefs like whited brown thread, for the threads are naturally of a determi- nate bignefs, as I obferved their Cloath to be all of one fubftance and equal finenefs; but 'tis ftubborn when new, wears out foon, and when wet feels a little slimy. They make their pieces 7 or 8 yards long, their wafp and woof all one thicknefs and fubftance.
There is another fort of Plantains in that Ifland, which are fhorter and lefs than the others, which I never faw any where but here. Thefe are full of