Page:The history of silk, cotton, linen, wool, and other fibrous substances 2.djvu/429

 CHAPTER II.

HEMP.

CULTIVATION AND USES OF HEMP BY THE ANCIENTS—ITS USE LIMITED—THRACE—COLCHIS—CARIA—ETYMOLOGY OF HEMP.

The use of Hemp among the ancients was very limited. It is never mentioned in the Scriptures, and not often by the heathen writers of antiquity. It is remarkable, that no notice is taken of it by Theophrastus. It was however used among the Greeks and Romans, for making ropes and nets, but not for sacks, these being made of goats'-hair.

The only reason for introducing hemp in this enumeration is, that, according to Herodotus (iv. 74.) ''garments were made of it by the Thracians''. "They were so like linen," says he, "that none but a very experienced person could tell whether they were of hemp or flax; one, who had never seen hemp, would certainly suppose them to be linen." The coarser kinds of linen would, it is certain, be scarcely, if at all distinguishable from the finer kinds of hempen cloth.

Hesychius (v. [Greek: Kanna bis]) quotes the preceding remark of Herodotus, only saying that the Thracian women made sheets of hemp ([Greek: himatia]). In substituting these expressions he puts upon the words of Herodotus an explanation derived from his familiar knowledge of Grecian customs. To the present day hemp is produced abundantly in the vicinity of the countries which were occupied by the ancient Thracians. A traveller who has lately visited them, informs us, that "the men who drive the