GAMBIER. 499 



Spanish dollars. 



Value of cleared land, ten orlongs 200 



Six laborers per annum 360 



Quit rent 7 



Boilers, firewood, and implements 20 



Houses 50 



Incidental ^ 30 



Total first year 667 



Second year 397 



1,064 



The six laborers on the plantation will, after the above period, 

 be constantly employed in cutting and preparing the gambier : 

 the average product will be 15 piculs monthly, which, at two 

 dollars per picul, will be 30 dollars monthly, or 360 dollars per 

 annum. This is the account obtained by collating different Chinese 

 statements. 



The Nauclea Gambir is placed by Jussieu under the natural 

 order -Rubiacea ; it is a shrub attaining the height of six to eight 

 feet, branchy ; the leaves are ovate, pointed, smooth, waving, dis- 

 tinctly veined transversely underneath, of dark green color, and, 

 when chewed, they have a bitter astringent taste, leaving how- 

 ever, afterwards, a sweetish taste in the mouth, not unlike 

 liquorice ; the flowers are aggregate, globular, composed of nu- 

 merous florets, crowded on a globular naked receptacle ; tubes of 

 the corolla of a pinkish color ; the upper part of the corolla fine, 

 cleft, and of a greenish yellow color; the stamina? are five in number, 

 and short ; the pistil is longer than the corolla ; the flowers are 

 destitute of fragrance ; the capsules (as correctly stated by Mr. 

 Hunter) are stalked oblong, incrusted, and crowned with a calyx ; 

 tapering to a point below ; two celled, two valued, the valves ad- 

 hering at the apex, splitting at the sides ; seeds very numerous, 

 oblong, very small, compressed, furnished at both ends with a 

 membraneous pappus. 



The gambier plant is propagated either by seeds or cuttings, 

 but the latter are preferred. It is cultivated to some extent at 

 Singapore, but it is said that the gambier can be imported cheaper 

 from the islands in the vicinity, more especially at the Dutch set- 

 tlement at Ehio. The extract is used extensively by the natives 

 of India, Eastern Archipelago, Cochin- China, and Cambodia, as 

 a masticatory, wrapped up with the betel. 



There are three different qualities of extract ; the first and best 

 is white, brittle, and has an earthy appearance when rubbed be^ 

 tween the fingers (which earthy appearance gave it the name of 

 Terra Japonica, being supposed, at first also, to come from Japan), 

 and is formed into very small round cakes. This is the dearest 

 sort, and most refined, but it is not unfrequently adulterated with 

 sago ; this kind is brought in the greatest quantity from the island 

 of Sumatra. The second quality is of a brownish yellow color, is 

 formed into oblong cakes, and, when broken, has a light brown 

 earthy appearance ; it is also made into a solid cube form ; it is 



2 K 2 



