I 2I 4 ) 



A good deal of a bast similar to that of Terap is imported 

 into Singapore from Pulau Bnngoran and Celebes, and sold at 

 15 cents a catty. I doubt its being the bast of A. Kunstleri, as 

 that does not occur so far East, as far as I know, but the bast 

 is sold as that of Terap. 



Some years ago an attempt was made at the Botanic Gardens, 

 Singapore, to clean and prepare the fibre of the Terap tree, to see 

 if it could be used commercially, and a strong white fibre was 

 prepared, but the staple is short and the fibre much curled and 

 irregular, so that the mass looked more like cotton waste than a 

 good working fibre. 



A. incisa. — Bread-fruit. This is not very extensively cul- 

 tivated here, as it never seems to fruit well, and the fruit is inferior 

 and not very popular. I do not know of the bast being utilized 

 here as fibre, but it is said to be so used in the Eastern islands. 



A. integrifolia — The Jack also produces a bast fibre, occa- 

 sionally used in India but not utilized here, and A. Lacoocha, 

 a wild kind of bread fruit not rare in the Peninsula, also is said 

 to give a fibre. 



It is probable that all the species of the genus give a more 

 or less useful fibre, and that the bast of more than one of the 

 native species is sold in the markets as that of the Terap. 



Antiaris toxicaria. — The Upas tree (Ipoh). This gigantic 

 tree, allied to the Artocarpir, is better known for its poisonous 

 latex than for its fibre. Its bast isused apparently in India to make 

 sacks, the bast being removed entire, beaten and soaked in water. 

 It is used for native clothing, and rope also in Ceylon. The 

 tree is not very common in the forests, and as the Sakais value 

 it for its latex used in poisoning their darts, they would naturally 

 be unwilling to cut a tree down for its bark while they can 

 get the less valued Terap tree. 



Akar Karas. — This is a pale colored bast obtained in Malacca 

 and brought in in half-inch strips. The bast is not very strong, 

 and inferior to that of Terap. The ultimate fibres are very 

 short, white and woolly. I do not know at present from what 

 plant this bast is derived. It has the appearance of a Ficus bast. 



Akar Tabak — Also from Malacca and of unknown origin is 

 a stronger bast, light colored, resembling that of Ficus Benjamina. 

 It is in narrow strips, and the fibre is short, white and woolly. 



Kudu.— Many years ago Mr. H. Vaughan Stevens brought 

 from Kemaman, a curious woolly light amber brown bast in 

 sheets, very soft, with a woolly short and weak fibre. It was one 

 of the cloth basts used by the Sakais for clothing but from what 

 tree it was procured I do not know. 



All of these have the appearance of being Urticaceous 

 fibres, either Artocarpus, Antiaris, or (the Akars) perhaps Ficus. 



