from the appearance uf the leaf that the fibre would prove of any 

 value. Leaves of Pandanus fascicular is ', and P. Kaida and also of 

 P. helicoptiS) the Resau were tried. All unexpectedly produced a 

 fair or good fibre. Further samples were made especially of that of 

 the Resau, and samples sent to the firm of Behn Meyer & Coy, in 

 Hamburg. On this it was reported: " There will be a good demand 

 for this fibre, estimated value for 50 Kus 19 to 20 marks ex quay 

 Hamburg, The valuation works out to about 89.75 P er pikul free 

 on board Singapore." 



Messrs. RlEBOW of Hamburg also says of it u Hemp equal to 

 sample, provided whiter in colour and better cleaned, values about 

 £22-24 ;i ton. The Hemp should not be twisted or in tresses but 

 should best be packed in such a way in about 2 kilos a bundle, tied 

 up at one end with a string of the material itself and packed in evert 

 layers, pressed and sewn in linen bales of about 150 to 200 kilos 

 each. The sample shows a quaiitv similar to Mauritius hemp the 

 value of which to <la\ is about £2$ to 38." 



A. Jan'i/.en reports "In ease fibre could be better cleaned and 

 be procured in length of 5 to 7 feet, the-;: advantages would make 

 a valuation* much easier than it is with the present sample." 



A very great drawback to be considere J is the very small resis- 

 tive power of the fibre : should it be possible to make the fibre, 

 absolutely tough so that it might resist a heavy strain large quan- 

 tities could certainlv be placed. 



Mv valuation lor a quaiitv equal to your sample £12 

 better cleaned ... ... • ... £18 to 20 



equal to my sample ... ... £34 to 35" 



Messrs. FelTEN and GuiLEAUME report :■ — Provided the colour 

 w ere throughout as white as part of the sample it may perhaps be 

 possible to use the fibre as a substitute for inferior Mauritius hemp 

 with the exception, however, that your sample shows a much weaker 

 fibre and (is one which) possesses almost no strength. 



The Hamburg firm (Behn Meyer) writes on these reports that the 

 great defect s-ems to be the very small resistive power of the fibre. 

 According to your (Mr. Schirmer's) report there would not be 

 much difficulty in obtaining better cleaned hemp, and a whiter 

 colour. 1 have telegraphed transmitting not too high a valuation as 

 I know by experience that high valuations are always likely to be 

 given only with a view of securing the business. 



The Resau is a river pandan which occurs in vast beds in the 

 rivers of Johor and Sumatra as well as elsewhere in the Peninsula. 

 In the rivers it is a positive nuisance, blocking them, up with their 

 creeping stems so that in many piaces it is necessary to keep the 

 river open by cutting the plants away. One often has to travel 

 for miles between the great walls of a dense mass of this plant 



