98 AMERICAN LUMBER IN FOREIGN MARKETS. 



IMPORTS OF LUMBER. 



About 20,000 feet of Singapore lumber are imported monthly into 

 this district from the Straits Settlement and from Siain. 



DUTY AND PRICES. 



There is no duty on lumber. There are no regular price lists issued. 

 Teak is generally bought by the log and Singapore wood by the 100 

 planks. A teak log 9 feet by 15 inches sells usually for $3, and Singa- 

 pore planks for $25 per 100, the plank being 15 feet long, 1 foot wide, 

 and 1 inch thick. 



CLIMATE. 



The climate of Java may be divided into the following seasons : The 

 East monsoon, or dry season, from April to October, is dry and hot 

 during the day, with a temperature of nearly 90, and damp and chilly 

 at night, when the temperature is about 80 j the West monsoon, or 

 wet season, prevails from October to April, when the temperature 

 ranges from 80 to 85 during the day and night, with a very damp 

 and close atmosphere and almost continuous rain. This season is gen- 

 erally much healthier than the dry season. During this rainy season 

 epidemics are unknown. 



GENERAL BUILDING 



With the exception of the Javanese houses in the country, which are 

 constructed of bamboo, nearly all the buildings in Java are of brick and 

 lime, the doors and windows being generally of teak. 



Where buildings are constructed on pilings, the native woods, such 

 as rasa mala, or ironwood, are always used. 



Vessels exceeding 100 tons register are seldom built of wood in 

 Java, but such vessels as are built of wood are always built of teak. 



Where wooden railway sheds are erected they are generally of teak; 

 a few have frame of teak and Singapore wood for planking. 



In former years cargoes of pitch-pine timber and spruce spars were 

 imported from the United States, but for a number of years such 

 importations have ceased, there being no demand for these woods. 



Government warehouses built within the last few years are of iron, 

 or iron frames and roofing, and brick walls. Private warehouses are 

 built of brick, with tile or iron roofing. 



All petroleum warehouses must be built of brick, and not less than 

 100 meters from any other building. 



B. S. KAIRDEN, 



ConsuL 

 BATAVIA, March 22, 1894. 



