possible "raffia" antedatings (OED has 1850)?

[Joel S. Berson]

Jesse and others,

What did the OED / do the experts here make of my two possible
instances of "raffia" prior to the 1850- of the May 2010 draft
revision sense 2, "The soft fibre from the leaves of any of the
raffia palms, used extensively as garden twine, in handicrafts such
as basket-making ..."?  Both seem like references to bottles wrapped in raffia.

rofia (n), "A palm of the genus Raphia, a raffia palm", goes back to
1729:  "R. DRURY Madagascar 394 Where the Cattle are kept is a Tree
call'd Rofeer."

1)  From 1729, the inventory of the estate of Gov. Burnet of Massachusetts:

A Case of Bottles with Ratifie &c.

In Nelson, William. Original documents relating to the life and
administrations of W. Burnet, Governor of New York and New Jersey,
1720-1728, and of Massachusetts and New Hampshire, 1728-1729
1897. Paterson, N. J.: Press Printing and Pub. Co.  Page 46.

And in the Suffolk (Mass.) Probate Records for 1729, microfilm.


2)  From 1751, Boston Gazette, Oct. 15, 2/3:

Imported by David Gairdner from Montrose in Scotland; TackleHooks and
Forelocks for Shipping, &c. rafree and plain bottle Snuff, some
Shott, Lead and Gun Powder ...

[Here I believe an "f" has been mis-set in the newspaper as a long
"s; "rasree" seems unlikely as the intended word.]

Joel

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org