Melocinia (vestis est), quæ malvarum stamine conficitur, quam alii molocinam, alii malvellam vocant. Isid. Hisp. Orig. xix. 22.
The cloth called Melocinea is made of the thread of mallows, and is called by some Molocina, by others Malvella.
The passages of Papias cannot be taken as a proof, that mallow-cloth
was woven in his day. But that it was in fashion
as late as the age of Charlemagne appears from the following
line, which is quoted by Du Cange (Glossar. Med. et Inf.
Lat. v. Melocineus) from a poem in praise of that monarch,
attributed to Alcuin:
Tecta melocineo fulgescit femina amictu.
Wrapt in a mallow shawl the lady shines.
The word "fulgescit" aptly describes the lustre of the material under consideration. From the Periplus of the Erythrean Sea[1] we learn, that cloths made of mallow, were among the articles of export from India, being brought from Ozene (Ugain) and Tagara in the interior of the country to the sea-port of Barygaza (Baroch). P. 146. 169, 170, 171.
The genus Hibiscus, Linn. is very abundant in India. The bark of a certain species of this genus, especially of H. Tiliaceus and H. Cannabinus, is now very extensively employed for making cordage, and might unquestionably have been used for making cloth[2].
H. Tiliaceus is also represented in Rheede's Hort. Malabaricus (vol. i. fig. 30.). It grows about 15 feet high.
Dr. Wallich (Cat. of Indian Woods, p. 18.) mentions two other species as used for making cordage from the bark.
The late Mr. John Hare, who lived in India a long time, says, that a coarse kind of cloth, used for making sacks, &c., is now woven from Hibiscus bark.
As a further evidence, that the Molochina mentioned in the Periplus were made from the bark of the Hibiscus, we may
- ↑ P. 146. 169, 170, 171. Arriani Op. ed. Blancardi, tom. ii.
- ↑ Cavanilles, Tab. 52, fig. 1, represents H. Cannabinus, the leaf of which is like that of hemp. Tab. 55, fig. 1, represents H. Tiliaceus, in the description of which we read "cortice in funes ductili;" and Cavanilles says, the inhabitants of the South Sea Islands (Australium insularum) use in their ships and boats ropes made from the bark.
