502 



TANNING SUBSTANCES. 



gambier and pepper in Singapore is about 11,000. Their rate of 

 wages fluctuates with the price of gambier. If a picul of gambier 

 realizes 1|^ dollars, the monthly pay will be about three dollars ; 

 if gambier fetches two dollars, their pay will amount to four 

 dollars in the month. The workmen who clean the plantation 

 always receive a dollar less than those who cut and boil the 

 gambier. 



A good deal of gambier seems now to be grown in Java, for 

 58,305 piculs were exported from that island in 1843. A small 

 quantity is taken by the Chinese ports, but whether as a mas- 

 ticatory or for tanning and dyeing 1 am not aware. ■ 



VALUE OF THE TERRA JAPONICA IMPORTED INTO CEYLON. 





£ 





£ 



1840 



. 611 



1846 



. 824 



1841 



. 1,053 



1847 



. 1,549 



1842 



. . 768 



1848 



. 1,095 

 . 896 



1843 



. 471 



1849 



1844 



. 1,153 



1850 



. 265 



1845 



. 537 



1851 



. 386 



In the Customs' returns of imports to this country, two articles 

 are enumerated, under the separate names of cutch and terra 

 japonica ; the former is catechu and the latter the produce of the 

 gambier plant. The imports of gambier were, in 1836, 970 tons ; 

 1837, 2,738 tons ; 1838, 1,600 tons ; 1839, 5,213 tons. 





Cutch. 



Terra J" aponica. 





tons. 



tons. 



1848 Imported to the United Kingdom 



1,186 . . 



5,623 



Retained for home consumption 



765 . . 



. . ■ 5,102 



1849 Imported 



1,636 . . 



6,851 



Retained for home consumption 



869 . . 



5,400 



1850 Imported 



1,172 . . 



4.585 



Home consumption 



787 . . 



3,655 



1851 Imported 



2,401 . . 



4,783 



Home consumption 



2,020 . . 



4,431 



1852 Imported 



2,236 . . 



3,244 



Home consumption 



1,708 . . 



3,003 



Catechu, imported under its Indian name of cutch, is brought 

 over in bales or baskets of from one to four cwt., the price being 

 £18 to £25 per ton. About 450 cwt. of terra japonica or gambier 

 is annually imported into Hull from the East Indies. The im- 

 ports of the two substances into Liverpool is about 900 tons. 

 Gambier is only worth £13 to £14 the ton; a few years ago it 

 fetched 26s. the cwt. The imports into the port of London 

 average 1,500 tons annually. 



4,679 bales, and 14,436 baskets of terra japonica were imported 

 into Liverpool in 1851, and 14,000 bales and baskets in 1852. 

 The imports of cutch were 10,290 bags, and 2,592 baskets, in 

 1851, and 11,873 bags and baskets in 1852 ; the prices, which 

 were from 16s. 6d. to 18s. per cwt. for each article, in 1851, were 

 rapidly run up in Liverpool, in 1853, owing to short supplies, to 

 25s. for gambier, and 22s. to 24s. per cwt, for cutch, or catechu. 



