173 



prevents its aeration. In proof of lalang being the cause of the trouble 

 the grass was carefully taken out of a certain diseased area ; the trees 

 in it recovered rapidly, their leaves ceasing to yellow and fall off. On 

 the contrary a neighbouring lalang covered plot which had received no 

 treatment continued to exhibit symptoms of enfeeblement. Certain 

 animal enemies are referred to, but none appear to be serious. 



The author then treats of the enemies of Castilloa clastica, Kicksia 

 elastica and Manihot Glaziovii. 



W. J. Gallagher. 



ON SOME VEGETABLE FATS NATIVE TO 

 SARAWAK. 



At the present time the natives of Sarawak employ for cookery and 

 other purposes a number of vegetable fats whose origin has been some- 

 what doubtful or unknown. However during March of this year there 

 has been placed on the market large quantities of the seeds which 

 provide some of the more valuable fats referred to and I have made 

 this an occasion to acquire precise knowledge respecting the seeds and 

 the trees which produce them. In the Kuching bazaar three kinds of 

 fatty seeds are now to be found, known to the Chinaman as Engkabang 

 chantong, Engkabang asu and Engkabang changai which are all 

 destined for export : in Singapore — according to Mr. Eidley — they 

 become known under the generic term of Engkawang or Tengkawang. 



Engkabang chantong (a Chinese perversion of the Malay jantong?) 

 is the Engkabang par excellence having fruits much larger than either of 

 the others and commanding a much higher price in the market. The 

 intact fruit is roughly speaking heart-shaped and may reach a length 

 of three inches or more : it is provided with five leathery wings (two 

 short ones and three wider and longer ones which are about four inches 

 in length) which give it the appearance of a shuttlecock : in the bazaar 

 one can obtain only the fat-bearing seed and this is broken up. If the 

 surface of the seed be indented with the finger nail a thick oil oozes 

 out, an indication of the high percentage of fat contained in the 

 Engkabangs. By a simple process the Dyaks extract from the seeds 

 a yellowish white solid fat much esteemed by them as well as by the 

 Malays to whom pig fat is detestable. 



Their method of extraction is as follows : — the seed after drying 

 is thoroughly pounded up, then it is steamed over boiling water and 

 when sufficiently hot the mass is put into a rotan bag which is sub- 

 jected to considerable pressure in a simple press : the oily liquid which 

 oozes out is run off into bamboos where it solidifies. The tree which 

 bears this valuable fruit is a Shorea (S. Ghysbertiana). It is widely distri- 

 buted in Sarawak being common in the lowland jungles of the interi- 

 or. In some parts e. g. the Saribas, it has been much planted by na- 

 tives, the localities chosen being invariably in the vicinity of small rivers. 

 The trees attain a large size and instead of climbing for the fruit 

 the native prefers to allow the crop to fall to the ground below T where 

 it is more easy to collect. During February and March of this year 



