66 



sorted into sizes, the fibres being very mixed in size, from stiff thick 

 brittle masses into the finest possible thread. The sorting and 

 arranging of these fibres and combing out any dirt there may be 

 among them is all the work necessary in preparing the fibre. Many 

 years ago, Mr. BULKELEY, visiting Singapore, was much struck by 

 this fibre as useful for brushes especially for boiler brushes, as the 

 fibre is not affected by hot water, and an attempt was made to pro- 

 cure a quantity for him, but the business was stopped in its inception 

 owing to the want of a middleman to attend to the necessary work 

 of sorting, baling, and shipping {See Bulletin, 1903, p. 403). With 

 the rising interest in fibres of all sorts, however, we may hope that 

 this fibre may eventually form an article of export to the home 

 markets. 



The palm is easily grown from seed and in good soil attains a 

 great size in a few years. It lasts for about 20 or 30 years, when it 

 commences to flower from the top downwards, emitting at every 

 joint a large hanging bunch of male and female flowers alternately. 

 The fruit, dull yellow, as big as a small apple, contains three seeds, 

 and are produced in great abundance ; when the flowering has nearly 

 reached the base of the tree it dies completely. 



In many parts of the Peninsula it grows spontaneously, coming up 

 ^11 over the campongs, and as the plant requires no care it is very 

 common in all the villages. 



The Hbre, which is quite black, is very strong and durable, and 

 suited for cordage, cables and such work, as it resists sea water very 

 well. There is a piece of a cable in the Sandakan Museum which 

 was found attached to an antique anchor supposed to have belonged 

 to a ship of one of the early explorers of that part of Borneo. The 

 cable seems to be in a complete state of preservation and though 

 now brittle it still retains its form and colour, The Malays make 

 cords for tethering buffaloes, and ornamental work with this hbre, 

 and quite a thin cord will hold the most lively buffalo without break- 

 ing. 



ROYLE states that a coarse line of this fibre stood a breaking 

 strain of 85 pounds, when a similar line of coir broke at 75 pounds 

 and that a ship's anchor in the Hooghly was raised by a cable of 

 this fibre when three Russian cables had broken in the attempt to 

 raise it. The fibre is light and floats on water and is as elastic as 

 that of coir. The chief objection to its general use seems to be its 

 black colour, but in these days when good fibres of all kinds are in 

 request so useful a fibre would not be likely to be rejected as use- 

 less from its colour. 



The thicker fibres are well adapted for brushes, and would per- 

 haps take the place of Kitul and Piassava to a large extent, and 

 probably would be cheaper than either. Rope and other articles 

 made of this fibre are always exhibiied at the local agricultural 

 shows, and it is really the best known fibre in the Peninsula. There 

 seems therefore no reason why it should not come into use in Europe. 



