188 ' GAMBIR. 



renters will, even at the risk of destroying the 

 plantation, cut off the branches, and convert both 

 them and the leaves into extract. There are 

 at present upwards of eight hundred plantations 

 in Rhio, completely ruined by this system, which 

 took place in the month of April last, at which 

 time Gambir extract was in very great demand. 

 One boiling-house, or manufactory, is usually 

 attached to about every forty Gambir plantations. 

 It may be observed, that during the rainy season 

 the extract produced is of an inferior quality to 

 that which is made during hot, dry weather, 

 although the foliage being in greater proportion, 

 more extract is yielded by them. 



During the wet season, vegetation is very rapid 

 in its progress on the shrubs : if stripped entirely 

 of their foliage, it is not an uncommon circum- 

 stance, in the space of five days, to see them re- 

 newed, and covered with verdure. The produc- 

 tion of Gambir, during the year 1829, amounted to 

 thirty-one thousand peculs; in 1830, it amounted 

 to thirty-five thousand peculs ; in 1831, to forty- 

 seven thousand peculs ; in 1832, to sixty-three 

 thousand peculs ; and for the present year, 1833, 

 will amount to full seventy thousand peculs ; and 

 each pecul, of one hundred and thirty-three 

 pounds, pays to the Dutch government the sum 

 of eiglit rupees, which, at seventy thousand pe- 



