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Show 2 PAPERMAKIN IN SIA which might impair the quality of the paper, as shown i Photograph 3. This treatment is not in any way comparable to the mizu-naoshi process used by the Japanese, fo in Siam papermaking has never reached the high degre of perfection developed by the handmade papermaker of Nippon, nor would 4o bark as a papermaking ma terial be equalin any respect to the mulberry, mitsumata and gampi barks of Japan The beating of bark in the Bangsom mill was carrie on with abundant energy, especially so when old lad Niltongkum was one of the group wielding the mallets The pounding was done upon a heavy wooden plan about cight inches in thickness and with a length an breadth of such proportions that two or four wome could beat at thesame time. (Photograph 4) The woode mallets or beaters were brought down upon the bar with a rhythmical rotation that resounded throughou the neighbourhood; it reminded me of the manner i which the South Sea Island women signal the local gossi from one village to another by a code tapped out wit their zapa beaters. The &hoi bark, softened by the soak ing and steaming, offered very little resistance and onl several minutes of vigorous pounding were required t render the bark fibres suitable for making into paper The papermaking moulds of Siam, like those in use i some parts of Kwangtung Province, theisland of Hainan Al rights reserved |