GAMBIR PLANTATIONS. 183 



moist state. This was the principal reason of its 

 being used, and, of course, the soil was finally 

 improved by it, as well as it would be by any 

 other dead vegetable matter. I did not observe 

 in even a solitary instance that it was used 

 about the roots of the vines, but, on the contrary, 

 it was kept cleared from them, the roots of the 

 vines having the earth hoed up about them, 

 leaving a circular space around, and ashes were 

 occasionally mingled with the earth about them, 

 as a manure. 



The Gambir plantations were very numerous, 

 as well as those of pepper ; and it surprises me, 

 that from the great and general demand for 

 the latter production, both in the China and 

 European markets, it is not an article of more 

 general cultivation. Some persons have as- 

 serted that the soil of Singapore is not calculated 

 for the production of pepper ; but if in the 

 numerous plantations I have seen, large clusters 

 of fine berries, excellent both in appearance and 

 flavour, is a sufl[icient denial of the assertion, I 

 can readily make it, and hope its cultivation will 

 be encouraged. Two or three thousand peculs 

 of pepper are collected annually at Singapore. 



I had fortunately an opportunity of observing 

 at several of the Gambir boiling-houses, the pro- 



