270 



THE SAGO PALM. 



mixture is made. This water is again passed into a second vessel, 

 where the farina settles down to the bottom, and, after two or more 

 washings, is fit for use. This substance is the raw sago meal which 

 keeps without further preparation for a month. For further use the 

 meal is made into cakes, which remain sweet for a long time. But for 

 exportation the finest sago meal is mixed with water, and the paste is 

 rubbed into small grains of the shape and size of coriander seeds. 



Each tree yields about 50 lbs. of flour ; and considering that after 

 cutting down the tree new suckers are sent out from the root, which 

 in their turn render a harvest, and that the culture requires little 

 care, it must be admitted that this palm is for the natives a vegetable 

 food more rich and less variable in its produce than rice. 



The sago palm is grown in different parts of the Indian continent 

 as an ornamental tree ; and as it is easy of propagation and not 

 difficult to cultivate, it might be of advantage to the country if 

 private enterprise would set on foot plantations of this valuable tree 

 in suitable localities in the plains of India. 



In Borneo the sago palm is found thriving along the north coast at 

 Kaluka, Oya, Muka, and Bentulu. It is cultivated chiefly by the 

 Millanii population. This tree requires eight years to attain its full 

 growth ; it is then cut down and the heart of it extracted. One tree 

 produces about 800 lbs. of raw sago, which, after being washed and 

 dried, gives 330 lbs. of sago flour. During its growth it throws out 

 numerous shoots, which are capable of being transplanted, and thus a 

 plantation is easily increased. The quality of the Sarawak sago flour 

 is considered to be exceedingly good. 



The supply of this product is at present abundant, and so easily is 

 the tree capable of propagation that the country between the Eijang 

 and Bentulu could, without much difficulty, be made equal to the 

 supply of almost any demand. As much of the sago is now wasted, 

 owing to the careless and imperfect manner in which the tree is 

 worked by the natives, the employment of machinery would no doubt 

 tend greatly to the economy of this valuable commodity. 



There are now several sago factories at Sarawak, all belonging to 

 Chinamen, and worked solely by manual labour. The number of 

 hands employed in each of these is from thirty-six to forty, who 

 manage to turn out 7000 lbs. to 8000 lbs. of sago daily. 



Muka not only supplies Sarawak with the sago which it requires 

 for export, but also shipped raw sago direct to Singapore of the value 

 of 31,000 dollars in 1865. 



Value of the sago exported in dollars from Sarawak : 



Year. 



Raw. 



Flour. 



Pearl. 



1863 



7,050 



64.634 





1864 



21,000 



lli;509 



19,039 



1865 



11,622 



67,207 



13,301 



1866 



21,054 



56,647 



9,557 



1867 



18,472 



97,309 



1,250 



1870 



11,859 



128,025 



5,066 



1875 



720 



306,464 





