The plain coir mattings of Malabar, and the coloured red and black matting of Canara, are well known. The local names of the Palghat mats are — Manha Poo Paya, Cooroo Nare Vir allee, Anjee Pooketty Mookeya Velle, Shooya , kunden Virallee, Kella Mooka Virallee, and Ketta Mookya Virella. Excellent mats are made in the Laccadive Islands, from the cocoanut leaf cut out of the heart of the tree just before it unfolds. These are employed in the islands as ships' sails; they are of fine quality, and much esteemed when exported. In the Peninsula of India, however, the most common and moat generally useful mats are formed of the bamboo, hose made with the shining outside strips are Ind for matting of rooms where the rattan is not irocurable. Common bamboo mats are used for liming vessels previous to receiving cargo, and for overing bullock carts. Rattan mats are generally ireferred for rooms; Tonga mats, similar to those f Bengal, are prepared in many parts of Southern udia ; date - leaf and palmyra - leaf mats are enerally used by natives for sleeping on, and are ery useful. Palghat mats and those from Cochin re considered the finest in Southern India. Mats 1 Travancore are made from the grass Cyperus extilis, and another grass called Cooray.
The mats of Sylhet are famed. Hindus sit on mats, and have large pillows at their backs, upon which they rest their arms. Europeans use only he better kind of mats, and almost exclusively Dr the covering 'of floors in their houses, but atives employ them to sit and sleep upon. Every luhammadan, however poor, after having per armed the prescribed ablutions, spreads a small mat before him while saying his prayers. The
Iindu uses it as a sort of table-cloth ; in many a hut it constitutes the only piece of furniture erceptible. The finest kinds of the Bengal matting are manufactured at Midnapur, near ,alcutta. The price varies according to the size f the border, which is coloured either red or lack ; and one large mat, 25 feet square, cost at lidnapur £30. But besides these extremely fine mats, a cheaper description is manufactured, of rhich considerable numbers are exported to fadras, Bombay, Mauritius, and Australia. These re much cheaper ; and a good strong mat, about 0 feet square, may be had for £4, if plain, and ;5, 10s., with a black or red border. The mats ext in point of fineness are those from Jessore, Iso in the vicinity of Calcutta, and called Sital 'ati ; these, however, are never made, for India, f the size of an entire room floor, but only in the Nape of rugs, and have invariably a red border, ametimes also a red-flowered centre. They are enerally made about 4 to 5 feet long and 2 broad.
Hoogly, near Calcutta, an inferior kind of small mat is made, of which very large quantities are xported to Mauritius, Demerara, and New South Vales. The small mats made in the Madras 'residency, North Arcot, and the whole of tho Ialabar coast, are celebrated.—IVilliams' Middle iingdoni; Itohde,1118S.; M'Culloch,Cat.Er. 1862. MATSA KANDA. TEL. Pterospennum aceri alium, Willde. The petals bruised in honey are eckoned a cure for stomach-ache.