been kept for some time in bundles*, if put into the grou 
with the first rains; and the little thorns with which 
armed, enabling the Vine to take a firmer hold. They are’ 
distinguished into two sorts, the white and red, not from 
the colour of the flowers (as might be supposed) for both 
are red, but from the tender shoots of the one being whitish, — 
and of the other a reddish hue. The bark of the former is” 
of a pale ash colour, of the latter, brown: the former is _ 
sweet, and the food of elephants, for which reason, it 8 
not much used in parts frequented by those animals; the 
latter is bitter and unpalatable to them: but they are not 
deterred by the short prickles which are common to the 
branches of both sorts. 
In Penang, the labour of the gardens is undertaken by 
the Chinese, who contract for forming the plantations and | 
keeping them in order for three years, when they come 
into bearing, and two hundred and twenty-five dollars for 
each hundred plants is paid by the proprietor. They ate 
reckoned to be in full bearing at the end of five or six” 
ys , and they continue so till they are fourteen years old. 
he labour of cleansing the vines, throwing up earth about 
their roots, and collecting the produce of a plantation 0 
forty-six thousand plants, has been performed by sixteel 
Chinese workmen. 
** As soon as any of the berries,” says Mr. MarspBy | 
“or corns, redden, the bunch is reckoned fit for gatherig 
the remainder being then generally full grown, although 
green: nor would it answer to wait for the whole to change 
colour, as the most mature would drop off. It is collecte¢ 
in small baskets slung over the shoulder, and with the 
assistance of the women and children, conveyed to a smoot 
level spot of clean hard ground, near the garden or villagé 
where it is spread, sometimes upon mats, to dry in the sua 
but exposed at thé same time to the vicissitudes 
weather, which are not much regarded, nor thought to 
injure it. In this situation it becomes black and shriveled, 
as we see it in Europe, and as it dries, is hand-rubbed 0c® 
sionally to separate the grains of the stalk. It is then W™ 
nowed in large, round, shallow sieves, called Nyir4, and 
put in large vessels, (Kulit kaya,) under their houses, U2" 
the whole of the crop is gathered, or a sufficient quantiy 
* es 
It is a common and useful practice to steep-these bundles in water, 
ae reject such of them as do not, in that state, show signs of veg? 
