502 



TANNING SUBSTANCES. 



gambler and pepper in Singapore is about 11,000. Their rate of 

 wages fluctuates with the price of gambier. If a picul of gambier 

 realizes 1 dollars, the monthly pay will be about three dollars ; 

 if gambier fetches two dollars, their pay will amount to four 

 dollars in the month. The workmen who clean the plantation 

 always receive a dollar less than those who cut and boil the 

 gambier. 



A good deal of gambier seems now to be grown in Java, for 

 58,305 piculs were exported from that island in 1843. A small 

 quantity is taken by the Chinese ports, but whether as a mas- 

 ticatory or for tanning and dyeing 1 am not aware. 



1840 

 1841 

 1842 

 1843 

 1844 

 1845 



VALUE OF THE TERRA JAPONICA IMPORTED INTO CEYLON. 





 611 



1,053 

 768 

 471 



1,153 

 537 



1846 

 1847 

 1848 

 1849 

 1850 

 1851 







824 



1,549 



1,095 



896 



265 



386 



In the Customs' returns of imports to this country, two articles 

 are enumerated, under the separate names of cu'tch and terra 

 japonica ; the former is catechu and the latter the produce of the 

 gambier plant. The imports of gambier were, in 1836, 970 tons ; 

 1837, 2,738 tons ; 1838, 1,600 tons ; 1839, 5,213 tons. 



1848 Imported to the United Kingdom 

 Retained for home consumption 



1849 Imported . . 

 Retained for home consumption 



1850 Imported 



Home consumption 



1851 Imported 



Home consumption 



1852 Imported 



Home consumption 



Cutch. 

 tons. 

 1,186 



765 

 1,636 



869 

 1,172 



787 

 2,401 

 2,020 

 2,236 

 1,708 



Terra Japonica. 

 tons. 

 6,623 

 5,102 

 6,851 

 5,400 

 4.585 

 3,655 

 4,783 

 4,431 

 3,244 

 3,003 



Catechu, imported under its Indian name of cutch, is brought 

 over in bales or baskets of from one to four cwt., the price being 

 18 to 25 per ton. About 450 cwt. of terra japonica or gambier 

 is annually imported into Hull from the East Indies. The im- 

 ports of the two substances into Liverpool is about 900 tons. 

 Gambier is only worth 13 to 14 the ton; a few years ago it 

 fetched 26s. the cwt. The imports into the port of London 

 average 1,500 tons annually. 



4,679 bales, and 14,436 baskets of terra japonica were imported 

 into Liverpool in 1851, and 14,000 bales and baskets in 1852. 

 The imports of cutch were 10,290 bags, and 2,592 baskets, in 

 1851, and 11,873 bags and baskets in 1852 ; the prices, which 

 were from 16s. 6d. to 18s. per cwt. for each article, in 1851, were 

 rapidly, run up in Liverpool, in 1853, owing to short supplies, to 

 25s. for gambier, and 22s. to 24s. per cwt. for cutch, or catechu. 



