Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-03-20
Chinese Papsr Making.

Among the nome lnuustfieS Sai'
on in Tonkin, exhibiting great ingenuity,
combined with much patience, is that oil
payer manufacturing. AZ correspondent
of tao Hong Kong CHINA Daily ifess
furnishes an excellent and interesting
description of the interest. Paper max
ing is conducted by some villages on the
shores Of the Grand Lac, about three
miles from Hanoi, and in all probability
il has been the employment and support
of the lake for hundreds Of years. Ger
tain it is that the processes have been
handed down from generation to gen
Grafton. Primitive as are their appll-
ances, the fabrication requires both in
dustry and skill. The correspondent
says:
THE villageI visited is situated on the
southeast corner of the lake, and on one
side of it is a shallow canal, which COM
municates with the citadel moat. En-
bosomed in. trees, chiefly areca palms,
the village is picturesque, and forms a
pleasant little excursion from Hanoi.
The first intimation of the industry By
which the inhabitants live is afforded by
olimpses of men in the shallow water OF
the lake, busy washing, with great vigo',
round baskets Of some material
which nearer inspection shows to
be some sort of pulp. The vii
lace itself is hidden away in the rcceSsss
of what looks like tropical forest. En'
tering a gateway fro:a the road, you
follow what by courtesy may be termed
a path-though there is no attempt made
at keeping it up-and soon come to a
series of matched structures, open on all
sides. In them a number Of women
were engaged IN the last process OF pro-
duction; so it may be as we'll, perhaps,
10 describe what we saw from the COM
menccmont. instead of in the order we
witnessed it.
"The paper is made from the fibrous
bark of tree indigenous to Tonkin,
but not growing in the neighborhood OF
Hanoi. Indeed, we understand it came
from some distance. It is first taken to
the adjoining canal, where it is soaked
for some weeks in the water, which II
blackens and fouls. 1t is then treated
with lime in holes followed out OF the
mud above the canal until it is materially
so(tened, though for how long we faile
to ascertain. The now pulpy bark IL
next conveyed into the village, aud, having
been smashed up roughly, is placed
in kind of mortar and maccrated into
thick pulp. Next it is put into bas
kets. and then undergoes lengthy wash
ing and churning in the lake. By thu
time it has become a gummy KIND o.
substance, and it is taken to tanks IL
the open sheds already described, anc
the women receive it in charge. Ii
their hands it undergoes the final pro
cess which converts it into rough, bu
useful, paper. About four women art
stationed to each tank, aud each l.
armed with kind OF rattan frame oil
two sticks, which will shut up or opel
out. The tank is about half ful
of pulp in water. The women keel
this in constant motion, and with Il Ger
tsin number OF motions through 1t with
rattan frame speedily bring this up
opened out, turn it over on what appears
block OF dirty looking, jelly-like stun
and with dexterous movement peel /
off the frame on the block, which
really pile Of paper, as IS apparen
enough when it dries. The price OF pa
per is exceedingly low, like every Othe
native manufacture ir Tonkin, but tn
paper makers seem to be fairly prosper
Gus, and the proportions of the villag
temple indicate the existence of som
spare money. At the entrance there wa
a life-s sized effigy Of an elephant, very &C
curately depicting the noble beast which
is held in great honor in Indo-China."