210 



pepper plantations, as well as a great number of 

 various kinllsr^f fti4tteB», 

 Slxtgd|»or& is iihe prineipal^ if mi mly 



place in tlie East, where the refining or manu- 

 facturing of tlic ])carl sago is carried on ; the 

 process is said to be a recent one, and the in- 

 vention of the Chinese. According to Crawford , 

 it was fitst practised la Mateea afcowt twmty 

 years aLio, and wns only introduccMl into Singa- 

 pore in 18*J4. I availed myself of the cstaldish- 

 mentuf many of the mamdactories of this article, 

 in and about the settlement, to visit one,* in 

 ^Iitetilfomid a nwber «#CIifo^e, all ^n^iwm 

 vr^te busily occupiecl m diSerent stages ^ ikt 

 operation. The sago, or sag'u, is imported in 

 large €|uantities into Singapore from Sumatra in 

 native boats, who bring it at all stsisons of the 

 year ^ ^nd. «i time eighteen proas of 



diSfer^ ^hm sm^^ fa to ei^, ladm with 

 tbis article alone in its raw state. The tfe& 

 from wliicli tlic raw material is produced is 

 named Rumbiya by the Malays, and has been 

 tlKi often described to rendeT an account neces- 

 sary liere^t 



* Sltuatftl at Tt'liik-aycr, (tehik, hi\y ; and aytr, uater). 

 f Tliert." is a vcrj coarse grunuluteU sago in largo graias, 

 iisa$. 6i Ik ^dTctj^ greyish £«lotif, wltk-h is itnpi^te^ Ivy 



