History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c23.s2.t1.16

v1.c23.s2.t1.16

In his seventeenth century diary, Streynsham Master refers to a textile called *herba*, while an eighteenth century French commercial dictionary mentions a bast fibre called simply *ecorce d'arbre* (bark of tree), said to stand midway between silk and hemp in its attributes. It was mixed with silk to weave the cloth variety called gingham. In view of the affinity between Rhea and fibres such as wool and silk pointed out by G.Watt, this fibre noted by the Europeans may be taken as a variant of *Boehmeria nivea*¹⁴. It could equally well be associated with *Ulatkambal*, mentioned by Thomas Wardle.