en. viii.] Sago Factories. 167 



dropped down the river silently in a boat and taken 

 advantage of the darkness to put their hands in at the 

 ports and take all they could reach. A complaint was 

 made to the Sultan at once. In a few days the goods 

 were recovered, and word was also brought to the effect 

 that each of the offenders had lost one of their hands for 

 the offence. Of course nothing so severe as this was 

 anticipated when the charge was made, and no one more 

 regretted the cruelty than those who were so near being 

 losers by the dishonesty of the maimed sufferers. The 

 principal export product is sago, of which large quanti- 

 ties are brought down from the Limbang and other rivers 

 in the interior. There are two large sago-washing esta- 

 blishments in the town, both the property of intelligent 

 and hospitable Chinamen. Gutta-percha, caoutchouc, 

 edible birds'-nests, camphor, rattans, and fine timber are 

 also obtained in small quantities from the forests of the 

 country behind. Fine fish is obtained from the river by 

 the natives, and fruit is very plentiful in season. Excel- 

 lent drinking-water is obtained from some rocks beside 

 the river between the town and the old Consulate. It is 

 pure, cool, fresh, and abundant, inestimable qualities in 

 such a hot and thirst-producing climate. 



We visited one of the sago factories, and found their 

 water remarkably good ; and when I and Mr. Veitcli went 

 out one evening snipe and pigeon-shooting on a plain 

 behind we came across an aqueduct formed of large 

 bamboo steins, in which this water was convej'ed from a 

 spring nearly a mile away. I was very much interested 

 in the old Chinaman's garden, which contained a fair 

 assortment of fruits and flowers. The lively white-flowered 

 Pancratium zeylanicum was blooming beautifully in one 

 of the well-watered beds. The mangoes were large, and 

 of excellent flavour. In exploring the garden behind the 



