271 



in the nature of a disc coffee-pulper with a revolving rasping sur- 

 face, could probahly effect in much less time, and with less laboar 

 as the material would be worked by gravitation through hoppers. 



Again, coils of heated steam in autoclave pans would advan- 

 tageously take the place of liot stones to heat the pulp and would 

 do it in half the time. 



Lastly, a liaudscrew-press or a hydraulic press would be a sure 

 improvement on the twisting of the rotan-bag. 



It is therefore quite possible, even while following the lines of 

 native methods, to reckon on an increased production of oil which 

 would bring the output to a figure not veiT far behind the 16% 

 which is the actual percentage claimed for modern mechanical 

 appliances. 



Conclusion. A question was hinted at, towards the end of our 

 previous paper Avhich wa.s put to the writer, somewhat in the follow- 

 ing way : 



" Given the existence in West Africa of large stands of 

 " Elae'is, growing in its own native habitat and largely in the 

 "bearing stage — e.xploitable at once at the cost of clearing the 

 '' undergrowth and cleaning the trees — ^would not capitalists, fol- 

 " lowing the lines of least resistance, be more readily attracted to 

 " such a proposition than to one entailing the heavy toil and 

 " expense, and the long wait for results, implied by the opening up 

 " of jungle land, in a country like Malaya, which has the further 

 "disadvantage of greater distances from the home markets? " 



Tlie situation here presented, has, to some extent, a parallel in 

 the " Estradas " of Hevea in its natural habitat on the Amazone, 

 where the " Seringuero " collects the latex and coagulates it on the 

 spot. We know, however, that this method of production cannot 

 hold its own, either in the matter of economy or of quality and 

 purity, against the product of cultivated rubber. 



But would not the case be materially altered, if, instead of 

 isolated trees or colonies of trees widely scattered in the forest, the 

 Hevea trees were found in pure, unmixed stands over extensive 

 tracts of forest, necessitating only the erection of a factory on the 

 spot to transform the latex into clean, pure sheet, or crepe rubber? 

 In a word, viewing the Elae'is as it presents itself in many 

 parts of West Africa, in large pure stands of forest, is it not con- 

 ceivably possible that it would be readily exploita.l)le in an economic 

 way by a factory on the spot ? 



Xot knowing the country, the present writer is unable to view 

 the question in all its bearings, yet certain points forcie them- 

 selves on the mind which tend to show that the process may not be 

 so simple nor so inexpensive as appears at first sight. 



To begin with, these extensive stands of Elae'is, or the right 

 to exploit them, belong, ])resumably, to somebody, to neighbouring 

 villages or communities or to their chiefs, from whom they would 



