417 
The present price of sago flour at Singapore is $2.55 per pikul. The 
Chinese traders buy the raw material at from $1 to $1.20 pi pikul, 
according to the market price at Singapore, and, after allowing for the 
cleaning of the raw sago and washing it in the factories, there remains a 
profit of at least 50 cents per pikul to the vi eie manufacturers. The 
freight from Labuan to Singapore at present is 22 cents per bag of 
115 catties=150 Ibs. A royalty of 6 cents ad pikul is charged on sago 
flour exported from Province Dent to Labuan Moo the Singapore price 
is below $2.50, and 8 cents when sti ove that a raw sago, a 
royalty of 8 cents is charged to protect the igi "fet The sago 
trade is increasing rapidly on the Borneo Cait, and at the brae time 
over three-fourths of the flour and raw sago exported ay and 
imported into, Labuan comes from British North Borneo ports 
(Signe 
G. WHEATLEY 
Mempakul, ` Magistrate, Province Dent. 
Setebór 15, 1894. 
CCCCXXIX.—THE CLOVE AS A DYE PLANT. 
(Eugenia caryophyllata, 'Thunb.) 
cloves of commerce are the dried unopened flower-buds of Eugenia 
caryophyllata. The tree is a native of the Moluccas, but is now 
cultivated in Zanzibar, West Indies, and other tropical countries. An 
account of the important clove industry of Zanzibar is given in the 
Kew Bulletin, 1893 (pp. 17-20). This was prepared for the late 
Sir Gerald Portal, and published asa Foreign Oflice Report [ No. 266, 
"EE 18 The clove tree was introduced into Mauritius in 
1770 by the French and at the end of the century an Arab named 
Harameli-bin-Saleh accompanied a French officer from Zanzibar to 
Bourbon, and obtained permission "f take back a small quantity of seed 
and plants with him. This was the commencement of the very flourishing 
clove industry in Zanzibar. In 1891 there were exported nearly 
14,000,000 Ibs. (avoir.) of cloves from Zanzibar and Pemba. Although 
cloves are still cultivated in Mauritius, Seychelles, and Bourbon, the 
quantity exported is not appreciably la 
One of the best clove estates in tin Se ‘chelles is at Cascade. This 
was lately described by Mr. William Scott, Director of Forests and 
rdens in Mauritius, while on a visit to the islands. The trees are 
n established, regularly planted, and many are from 40 to 50 feet 
ight. According to the information supplied i in the correspondence 
given ‘below, it appears that the ripe clove fruit (called “ mother clove ”) 
is used in the Seychelles for dyeing cloth. This is not an entirely new 
use of the product, but its merit does not appear to have been fully 
investigated. The material received from the cx siege was submitted 
to Professor Hummel, of the Yorkshire College, Leeds. He was good 
enough to investigate it, and the ded bos it el be admitted is not 
very favourable, is given in his report 
Messrs. GovrFFÉ and James to ROYAL GARDENS, Kew. 
80, Bishopsgate Street er London, E.C. 
DEAR Sia, 29th May, 
x have received from the Seychelles Aree a tin of the ripe 
fruit of the clove; the natives use it to dye their clothes with. Do you 
think they could be used, commercially, for that purpose in England ? 
