60 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HLST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXV. 



the description of the process by which this sago is prepared. 

 The raw sago is a mass of rather soft consistence and of a dirty 

 white colour, being mingled with several impurities. It first 

 undergoes several different washings through cloth strainers. 

 When the raw material is sufficiently clean, the masses at the 

 bottom of the vessels are collected, broken into pieces, and placed 

 upon platforms in the sun to dry, })eiug broken into still smaller 

 pieces as the drying proceeds. As soon as the pieces are sufficient!}^ 

 dry, they are pounded and sifted upon long benches through sieves 

 made of the midrib of the leaves of the Ooco-niit Palm, and 

 placed at certain distances in a longitudinal direction, so 

 as to cause the pulverized, or rather broken, masses of sago to 

 pass through it of the size required. Having been passed through 

 the sieve, a certain quantity at a time is taken, placed in a large 

 cloth, tied to cross sticks, in the form of a bag, hanging by a cord 

 from the roof of the building ; the bag is then shaken forwards and 

 backwards and the sago-powder itself must be occasiouallj^ shaken. 

 This is continued for about ten minutes, when it is turned out 

 granulated. It is then placed in small wooden hand-tubs, looking 

 beautifully and delicately white, but still so soft as to break 

 instantly with the slightest pressure under the fingers. It has then 

 to undergo the dr3dng process in large iron pans over a fire, where it 

 is constantly stirred about with a wooden instrument. After this it 

 is resifted at another bench and rebaked, when it is considered pre- 

 pared. It is then of a fine pure white colour, and, being spread 

 thinly over a long and large bin, in course of time becomes both 

 harder and of a darker colour. The sago is collected just before the 

 tree begins to show its large terminal flower spike. This generally 

 occurs at the age of seven or eight years. When the flower and 

 fruit are allowed to develop, which is in two years from the first 

 appeai'ance, the pith of the centre is found dried up, the leaves 

 have fallen, and the tree perishes. 



METROXYLON SAGUS, Rottb. in Nye Saml. K. Dansk. Vid. 

 Skrift. II, 527 ; Miq. Fl. Ind. Bat. Ill, 147 : Becc. in Nuov. Giorn. Bot. 

 tal. Ill, 29. — M. inennis Mart. Hist. Nat. Palm. Ill, 215. — Safftis Icevis, 

 Rumph. Herb. Amb. I, 76 ; Blume Ruraphia II, 147, t. 86 ; Griff, in Calc. 

 Journ. Nat. Hist. V. 20 ; Palms Brit. Ind. 24 (not t. 182).— -S. Rumphii 

 Blume 1. c. t. 126, 227.—? S. Koenujl Griff. 11. cc. 19, 22, t. 181.—- S'. 

 inermis Roxb. Fl. Ind. Ill, 623. 



Names. 



English : Common sago palm, Rumphius's sago palm, sago 



palm, sago tree. 

 French : Arbre au sagon, palmier du Japon, palmier sagon, 



sagonier, sagonier farinifore, sagoutier. 

 German : Echte Sagopalme, Molukkische Zapfenpalme, Rumph's 



Sagopalme, Sagobaum, Sagopalme. 



