Oregon Republican. [volume] (Dallas, Or.) 1870-1872, 1871-11-11

them in pair of large scales suspended
from the mans shoulders by means of
flexible bamboo rod, worn somewhat
like yoke.
Bamboo canes occasionally attain an
enormous size. The Queen of France,
! Marie Antoinette, was presented by the
Emperor OF China with pair OF hand
some breakfast trays, each about forty
inches in diameter. and carved out of
single solid piece of this wood. This
prodigious development is, however, of
rare occurrence, even in the most pros
pitious climate.
The Chnaman's broad d-brimmed hat
is made of split and braided bamboo
the handles of his parasols and fans are
quantity carved out Of it; she split
stalk is fashioned into baskets Of every
possible shape, and beds, bedding,
chairs and brooms; the Chlnaman 5
opium pipe, even the paper he writes
on, and the pencil with which he forms
the curious letters, all are manufactured
from the inexhaustable reed.
There grows quite abundantly on the
Molucca Islands a species of bamboo
that is so hard that it emits sparks of
fire when the axe is applied to it, Its
wood blunts the sharpest knives. In
this the knots or joints are covered with
rugose sheaths, which are as rough and
grained as shark skins, and as hard as
steel They are used to polish iron and
ivory.
The natives Of these islands, and also
the Inhabitants of the Islands of Java,
make quite a variety Of fancy articles
with this cane-futes, whistles, fishing
rods, long pipes called calumets, poi,
soned javelins, and excellent pixies end
darts, the tips of which are hardened
and pointed in the fire.
The rapid growth of the bamboo is
used in certain parts OF China as Il
means of inficting the penalty Of death
An eye witness says that at sundown
the culprit is led forth and securely tied
over the young shoot, and in nearly
every case he is dead man before the
morrow's sun has set, for the extraor-
| dinary power Of vegetation forces the
stalk up into the flesh Of the man, who
| thus loses his life's blood
1t is, finally, used in the construc-
tion of ramparts The King of the
Macassars being at war against the
| Dutch in l65l, in order to intrcnch his
army, had two parallel rows of stakes
planted, a yard apart, tied together
with other pecs Of bamboo, aud Gov
cred over with sort OF lattice work
also OF bamboo. The space between
the two rows was filled with sand,
gravel, stones and branches of all kinds;
and thus the whole formed a compact
mass which opposed very effective
resistance to the artillery fire Of the
Europeans The cannon balls could not
penetrate through the intervening sand
and bramblcs The same sort of ram
parts is used at this very time in ecr-
tain parts Of Africa, where this cane
grows i'll great abundance.
We now hear Of cloths manufactured
out Of mixture Of bamboo and wool,
cotton or silk. The bamboo is prepared
very much in the same way as straw,
! by boiling several hours in water, pro-
badly containing alkali 1t is then run
between heavy rollers, and subse-
quently through a picker, which re-
duces It to fibre The fibre is then in
a condition for being carded aud dyed,
ready for mixing with other stock We
have seen specimens of cloth made by
adding various proportions of the
bamboo.
Cotton warp and cloth containing so
per cent. of bamboo in filing, was
strong, and capable Of taking a fine dye
A silk mixed CASHMERE, in which was
% per cent. Of bamboo fibre with warp
and filling, also looked well. The dyed
fibre closely resembles wool to the un-
initiated, and the undyed looked as il
it could be u.ed for false hair, if il
could be made long enough
Could this wonderful tree-for il
may be called a tree--be acclimatcd
and cultivated in our own country, il
would doubtless prove a source of pro.
fit; for American ingenuity and inven
tiveness would soon discover still more
appliances for this reed, already so ad
vantageously and extensively used. -
Boston Iroveher.
The original copy of Lincoln's Fman
cipation Proclamation was DESTROYED il