Man's earliest cords were mere strips of bark such as certain savage tribes still use. In this district the earliest cords were also strips of bark mainly got by peeling rushes or osiers in strips and afterwards twisting the strips. Before the nineteenth century rope was made entirely by hand. Then came machines for twisting hand-spun yarns into rope strands and later in the middle of the nineteenth century steam driven machines were introduced for making cordage. Cordage is made of various kinds of hemp, other material used are flax, cotton and jute. The raw material arrives at the rope factory in great bales. It is loosened spread in layers, sprinkled with oil and then mechanically combed