August i, i8qi.] 
fHF TROPICAL AGRSOULTURIST,. 
IIS 
displayed in the couutry post Offices to enable far- 
mers to recognise them. The report iilso saggestSi 
that wa?hes of sulpliate of copper (blue vitriol) 
should be applisd to potifco ciops not only to check 
the outbreak of tie disi<aso, but to prevent it. 
Recent experiments in France and Belgium have 
proved the efficacy of his remeriy, as also of sul- 
phate of iron (green vitriol) washes. 
Figs. — -The old Greeks had a notion that certain parts 
of the fig were good for digestion, and their observation 
is borne cut l y recent investigations. In 1880 IvI. 
Bouchnt pointed out thai the fruit and branches of 
the fig-tree contaioed a fermentive juica wliich digested 
albuminoid substances. Quite recently, Dr. Mussi has 
isolated the digestive principle, which he calls " cradina," 
after krade, the digestive part of the fig. The juice, 
when filtt;red and evaporated, and then treated with 
alcohol, yields a white precipitate, which, on being dried, 
beeomes yellow. Treated with water it swells, and the 
insoluble residue, when dissolved in aci i or alkali, digests 
moist fibrin. It differs from pepsiiie by preserving its 
digetive properties in alkaline liquid?, and from papain?, 
in itsaotion not being destroyed by hydrochloric acid. In 
a neutt al liquid it has no digestive power ov; r starch. 
An imitation wine is made from figs in France and 
Algeria, by steeping the fiiTS in v/arm water and fermen- 
tingthe liquor obtained. When iningled with a little wine 
it isdiflicult to tell it from genuine wine; hot M. P. 
Charles has foand tba^ by evaporating it, a residue is left 
containing a considerable quantity of mannite. As this 
substance is only an excepiional iupredien'. in wines, and 
is never present in anything like the same quantity, it, 
therefore, bt comes a teat of grape and fig wins.— 
Qlohe. 
THROUGH SUMATilA. 
(From the Bataviaasch Nkwmhlad.) 
Tha intended workiug of the Ombilien coal fields 
and the con.«tructiou ot a railway to the West Coast 
of Sumatra has for a long time attracted general att:en- 
tion. People became still more interested when they 
learned that Blr. Yzerman, the well kno'sn Chief- 
engineer for the construction of the State railway, at 
the head of a commission, intended to make r joarney 
overland to the East Coast in connection with the 
possible carriage of coals to that coast. Concerning 
the long and diflacult journey on foot, we wore not 
without fears for the fate of the travellers in this 
terra incoynita of onr Colonial dominion, and we re- 
ceived the news with joy that the soientiflc expedition 
after many difficulties, and with the loss of one of its 
members, by tho treacherous murder of Inspector Van 
Kaalte, had met engineer J. Andre de la Porte at 
Lauggam in safety. It can astonish nobody therefore 
that a numerous and intelligent audience assembled at 
the Hall at the Gardens to hear the interesting in- 
formation which Mr. Yzerm»n had been invited by the 
Administration of Ishe Natural History Society of 
Me herlanda India to give concerning the expedition 
across Sumatra. The lecture w»3 illustrated by a large 
map of the explo-ed ground. A branch of the Kwantan 
runs through the Ombilien coalfields ; falls into lake 
Singkara; leaves the dnke on its southern border and 
winds its way eastward. Theobjact of the e.-5ptdition was 
to seek a trace for the railway on tho left side of this 
river. Of \ ho great rivers ou the East Coast of Sumatra 
the Sifik has the greatest navigable length and this 
rirer is intended to be made u-e of in tho export of 
coals. On the l7th Feb. all who were to lake p^rt 
in the expedition were aseemhlect at Si Djoendjaing, 
the statioQ ot the Controller of tho united VII. Kottas. 
Besides iVr r. Yzerman there were Mr. S. H. Koordsrs, 
ioreat dtpailment, Dr. Van Bsmmekn, natural his- 
tory. Leut. Bakhuis chief of the topegraphical 
depnrtm^nt at Padang, Inspector Van Jfeatten, 
Mr. VauA'phen, champion tiger hunter of the Padaug 
highlands and TuMiku of Eiu Ran. Eighty coolies 
were wanted for the baggage, instruuients Ac Food, 
arms and clothing had to ba carried, so that the 
whole expedition consiated of about 250 men. TIib 
journey along the Kwantan the lecturer dedcribed as 
one of the most beautiful o£ the many exoursiona ou 
■he water he had made in the Archipelago, The 
step wall of naked granite, porphyry and calyx, tinted 
&i!d shaded iu hundreds of colours and crowned with 
sig'.ntic forest trees were very imposing. The river 
hero has out cut for itself a bed in Itje rooks >rcm 
ten to twenty ysrds wide. High above the htsd oC 
the ir&Velier gigantic trees rear themselves whose 
branches meet above the stream which runs benesth 
their roots. Flowers of 4ho most brilliant colours 
add life and glow to the exceedingly beautiful and 
natural scene. A solemn stilluess reigns in the 
regions. It is virgin nature. Tha beautiful and 
interesting surroundings did not prevent the at- 
tention of the. bold travellerj being frequently drawn to 
the dangers which beset them on account of 
swiftness of the current, and great praise ia 
due to the Malay boatmen of Salah^. Fallen trsea 
bleeped up the spaces between the rooks. This wrs 
only a foretaste of the difBoulties which the voyagers 
were afterwards to meet. Mar Mokko-mokko the goods 
were taken out of the boats and brought overland past 
1 he waterfalls and currents to be placed again in the 
boats lower down. The place where this happened is 
called Solok and here a tunnel of ISOO meters will be 
necessary, which can howc-ver be built iu two sections 
of 1,350 and 450 msters. Having arrived at Ambatjong 
a c.imp was formed end some days' rest were indulged 
in. The reception by Tuanku Kadi Radja was very 
hearty. A flask and a slendmic/ were accepted as 
valuable presents by one of the chiefs which shows the 
Ijrimitive condition of the people in these parts. Labo 
Ambatjong is one of five districts which in namq 
recognize the authority of the Radja of Basorah who 
has his residence at Tjarantei on Kwantan. In this 
region called the Rantau the authority ia S'.id to be 
m.-rcly nominal and in the district Lubu Jambi snd 
Taloe which iire hostile.;. the Radja has nothina: to say. 
On account of information from Padang accord] ng to 
which the Taloeta had declared themselves to be 
under the authority of tho Radja of Basorah, 
Uoiitrolier Ringat went to Indragiri to ask the 
oCiief for 1 is co-operriticn and approval ot making 
surveys for construclinga railway. These were grunted 
and the travellers went there but they were firmly 
forbidden to en'or the land r.s they wanted nothing to 
do with the Blandus. There is now some ground for this 
cistrust. The authority of tha Government in these 
regioDS is very weak. Districts under Dutch authority 
in case of v;ar againt independent provinces always 
ask the Controller for assistance and he invariably 
refuses for some rep.son or other, generrilly from inabi- 
lity to grant it. The cute Malay sees this at once and 
is to soek our support. Another reason, said the 
speaker, for hostility to iii is the ladies. The women 
contrary to the custom in other Malay countries have an 
cxtraoruiaary amount of iDfluaL.ce over t heir husbands 
and they make full use of it. While in other district, 
the mi'o IS spoken to as angkau and the woman n s Z-iiit, 
the males iu Taloe are disdainfully addressed as l<au. 
A Malay legend gives the following as the cause. Onoa 
upon R time some men r-.Ed women were weeding 
in a ladang when a gigantio tiger sprang roaring 
into tho midst of them. The men instead of unit- 
ing to ciier a courageous resistance took to their 
heels i,nd left the women and ohildren in tha 
lurcli. Thus came the men into bad odour. 
These people gave proofs ot their hostility and Mr. 
Yzerman to avoid political questions was obliged to 
turn aside bo as not to pasn thro' their laud. On the 
second of IVIarch the party left Logoi di Rambu. 
Messrs. Yzerman, Bemino'ea and Koordcra were in 
front, then came the coolies who formed a long train 
with Mr. Bakhuis behind. A few paces off came 
Messrs. Alphen and Raalten one armed with al 
Beaumout rifle and the other, with a revolver. Peaoefu 
and without a thought of iuseoarity the journsy was 
continued. Wherever vve had been we were received in 
friendly manner and we had no st:spioion that this 
day would have so .sad an ending. Suddenly we in 
front heard rifle shots echoing thro' the jungle. Not 
suspecting any evil continued calmly no our way, 
then cries Irom the coolies made u.i think tometbin 
was wrong. Again shots were beard and the coolies 
bolted. Those close behind ^ts threw away th«i 
