Ch. XYI.] SAGO-PLANTINa. 273 



leaves falls off, leaving the graceful cocoa-nut tree a mere 

 tall bare pole. Sucli bare poles I have' seen representing 

 all that remaias of the betel-nut palm (Areca catechu), which 

 is subject to the attacks of a similar beetle. In Penang, 

 thousands of cocoa-nuts are destroyed by the ravages of 

 these insects. In the cocoa-nut plantations men ascend the 

 trees and examine narrowly for these insidious enemies, 

 which they find in large numbers. They forthwith pierce 

 them with a sharp stick, and passing a string through them, 

 hang them up in festoons at the entrance of the plantation. 

 Such strings of beetles, some dead and decaying, some still 

 alive and kicking their legs about, I have seen in the planta- 

 tions of the island. At the present moment, however, the 

 cultivation of cocoa-nuts is merely in its infancy ; and the 

 exports are confined to places in the immediate neighbour- 

 hood of Singapore. 



An enterprising gentleman is cultivating the sago-palm 

 on a large scale, about eight miles from Singapore. The 

 plantation (containing at present 10,000 trees) is still young, 

 and will not begin to yield for about five years ; but this 

 flourishing state of the trees, with the aid of a certain 

 amoimt of manure, gives full promise of a successful 

 result. When the trees are ready to cut, he intends to 

 apply machinery to the preparation of the sago; for, accord- 

 ing to the present primitive modes of the natives, a man 

 (Chinese) and his wife, their adult son and wife and two 

 children, are employed a fortnight in preparing the product 

 of a single tree. 



Let me add, too, with regard to labour, which I have 

 spoken of as comparatively dear — a Malay or a Chinese 

 commands a price of 3| to 4 dollars a month ; while in 

 Java 3 rupees is considered good wages ; and, besides bemg 



