177 



H. X. Ridley, Esq., 



Director, of Botanic Gardens, S. S. 



20th May, /go,/. 



Tengah Dye. 



The Tengah tree grows in salt swamps preferably inland, as it 

 does not seem partial to the presence of water. The leaves are 

 small fleshy elliptical and grow in clusters. The hark is light red 

 and the heartwood redder than the other species of mangrove, 

 straight fibred and fissile. 



This tree if protected will soon form the prevailing species as 

 it is hardy and comes into bearing at a smaller diameter growth 

 than the other kinds, and is a profuse seeder with a tendency to 

 gregariousress. It is popular as fuel and can be used immediately 

 after conversion, but is supposed to burn fast, barking may ac- 

 count for it. 



The bark is stripped off the freshly felled logs with "parangs" by 

 women, and arranged into hollow cylinders of fixed lengths ( q"). 

 Rings made out of the climber "Jhanghat" are slipped on to both 

 ends. This maintains uniformity as chips of bark are then ham- 

 mered into the crevices with a wooden mallet. Bakau bark is here 

 used for tilling instead of Tengah which is now rather scarce. 

 I his depreciates the dye as that extracted from Bakau bark is not 

 so well absorbed and tends to harden cloth, etc., perhaps owing to 

 its coarse constituents. It is easily washed out. 



In two days time a hundred bundles could be prepared for 50 

 cents. The selling price per 1,000 bundles is 815 looallv and from 

 §20 to $25 in Penang. The price fluctuates owing to the importa- 

 tion of Tengah bark from Siamese territory to which place this 

 trade is chiefly confined, about 8 to 10 bundles can be extracted 

 from a tree 6 to 8" diameter. 



The Tengah bark yields a rich red dye indispensable as a pre- 

 servative for sails and fishing-nets, the latter being dyed every 

 fortnight. 



A tub is well packed with Tengah bark and then water free from 

 saline or mineral matter poured in. Three brews of dye are ex- 

 tracted, the liquid rive when ready bein^ poured off and fresh 

 water added to the tub, the processes taking about four months 

 altogether, each time it has to be kept longer in water till the 

 required strength is attained. The first dye is extracted in about 

 20 days. 



Sails and nets before being dyed must be carefully rinsed in 

 fresh water and dried. Sails are steeped twice or thrice as required 

 and dried each time. 



Finally to fix the dye it is put into an inverted tub placed over 

 a pan of water, and steamed for fifteen minutes, care being taken 

 that it has been previously air-dried; a framework resting on 

 supports in the tub prevents contact with the water underneath. 



V. P. BORGES. 



