SAGO. 39 



Singapore, and also by the Bugis boats from the 

 eastern and southern sides of the island. The sago of 

 commerce is the well-known substance forming the 

 heart of the plant, and in those parts where it is most 

 abundant it forms a great portion of the food of the 

 inhabitants ; but, notwithstanding its nutritive proper- 

 ties, the natives, who are not so expert in preparing it 

 as those farther east, much prefer rice; and the 

 Milanowes, who live on the rivers Egan, Hoya, Mocha, 

 and Bintulu, and are the principal cultivators of the tree, 

 always import considerable quantities of grain for their 

 own consumption. The tree grows in marshy places, 

 and rarely attains a greater height than thirty feet. 



The time for collecting the sago, and in which 

 state it is most productive, is just before it begins 

 to show its large and spreading terminal spike of 

 flowers. It attains this state in from seven to eight 

 years from the time of planting. While young, it is 

 beautifully provided by nature with strong and lengthy 

 spines, which serve to protect it from the wild pigs 

 which would otherwise destroy it. On its attaining a 

 greater size, the outer shell of the trunk becoming 

 sufficiently hard, the spines drop off, the hard wood 

 protecting the farina of the centre from their attacks ; 

 after the flower and fruit have perfected themselves, 

 which occupies a period of two years from their first 

 appearance, the pith of the centre is found dried up, 

 the leaves have fallen, and the plant is dead. It is 

 rarely propagated from the seed, which is generally 

 unproductive ; but as it freely produces offsets, the 

 supply is easily raised. Amongst the Dyaks, who grow 



