GAMBIR. 189 



culs, brings to them the large annual revenue of 

 five hundred and sixty thousand rupees. 



It is surprising that no place has yet been found 

 in the Eastern Archipelago from whence Gambir 

 can be procured that can at all compete in quality 

 with that produced at Rhio. The island of Lin- 

 gin produces a quality next to that of Rhio ; and 

 it is worthy of remark, that Rhio owes its good 

 name to Lingin, as the Gambir, the produce of 

 that island, was not held in any estimation, until 

 Rhio planters (Chinese) went to Lingin to ac- 

 quire the art of manufacturing it ; and they also 

 brought with them the Gambir plants from that 

 place to Rhio, where it was found to thrive and 

 produce a better extract than at Lingin. A Gam- 

 bir plantation, after it has attained three years' 

 growth, may be considered capable of yielding 

 good extract, and will continue to do so, if properly 

 attended to, for the space of nine or ten years. 



The Chinese, possessing plantations of Gambir 

 at Singapore, informed me, that twenty thousand 

 peculs were manufactured annually upon the 

 island ; and some quantity of it was taken away 

 by the Borneo and other native vessels. There 

 are one hundred and fifty Gambir plantations 

 upon the island, not including a number of 

 plantations of young trees not yet producing the 

 extract : there are also about one hundred and 



