"...A handmaid and messenger of Memory.
A recorder of the aspirations of Genius."
There is a peculiarity in the leaf of the Allmanyuka which I will now
mention; but, to make myself intelligible, I must give you some few
facts about our paper, of which we have an unlimited supply, and which
is made from the leaves of nearly every kind of tree, gathered just
before they begin to fade, but whilst still green. Dead leaves are used
for other purposes.
The leaves of some trees make finer paper than others, and, though every
kind of leaf is available, one kind only at a time is used to make paper
of the finest quality. Mixed leaves are used to make paper of a common
and coarser kind.
All papers, when dried in the sun, have a glossy surface, and none can
be torn, or ignited by the application of fire; the paper will smoulder,
but not burst into flame. Our paper is transparent, and is besides so
very light, soft, and pliable, that in warm weather it is used for
children's dresses. Very pretty it is to see the graceful movements of
the little creatures' limbs through the pellucid costumes, which are
made complete without a seam, the material being most beautifully fine,
like one of the silk gauzes of your India.
In our world it was well known that paper could be made from rags, but
this material was not as plentiful as leaves, and we discovered,
moreover, that it was injurious to the workmen, whilst the manufacture
from leaves not only produces a paper far superior to that made with
rags, but is a most healthful occupation.
Our trees are, I believe, more numerous than yours; but you have many
trees even in Europe from the leaves of which excellent paper of a kind
similar to ours could be made, as, for instance, the horse-chestnut and
oak. The horse-chestnut leaf makes some of the best paper; the leaves of
the lilac-tree and of the apple-tree are also excellent; but perhaps the
best leaf of all for very fine paper is the vine leaf, which has less
moisture, and gives less trouble in the preparation.
In the manufacture of paper the leaves are subjected to a great
pressure, and the fragrance emitted from the crushed leaves is
delicious, and considered very wholesome, so much so indeed that young
children are often sent to reside near the place where the leaves are
being crushed to inhale the fragrance.
The original moisture is removed by a substance, chiefly consisting of a
very fine sand, beautifully compounded with other materials, and spread
over a hard pliant stuff. This laid on the pressed pulp sucks out all
the original moisture. The fine sand material, though possessing quite a
smooth surface, is like a sponge in its power of suction, and, when
used, is unrolled and pressed over the pulp by a machine.
This done, the plate containing the paper is moved to an adjoining part
of the building, which is roofless, and is there exposed to the rays of
the sun, which finishes the drying process and gives a beautiful glaze
or polish to the paper. Nothing so well dries the paper as the sun, as
we have proved by frequent experiments. After the sun, fire is the most
efficacious agent; but this gives the paper a dead and chill appearance.
Our paper is as good as yours, though not better to write upon. I have
already informed you of some of the points of difference between them.
Paper can be made to almost any size, and without any seam. One other
peculiarity is that our paper makes no more noise when doubled up than a
piece of linen.
The colour principally in use is that of cream or a very light yellow;
for though we can produce a chalky white, we do not use it in our
stuffs, except for linen.
There is a paper which we call "natural," because its green colour
exceptionally resembles that of the leaf, although it is purely
artificial, being produced by the use of a powder obtained from a
particular fruit which hangs from a tree in the shape of small eggs, and
contains a white powder of a sticky consistency. This powder is mixed
with the leaves, and the paper thus prepared is very transparent. At
first it has a kind of primrose tint, but, when subjected to heat, or to
the sun, turns green. The egg called "Brulista Tavi," or "Lime Egg,"
follows a small blossom, but the fruit alone is used. The trees are
plentiful, growing on marshy ground, a long distance from, the city, for
there are no marshes in its vicinity.