177 
H. N. Ridley, Esq., 
Director, of Botanic Gardens, S. S, 
20th May, 1904. 
Tengah Dye. 
The Tengah tree grows in salt swamps preferably inland, as it 
does not seem partial to the presence of water. The leaves are 
small fleshy elliptical and grow in clusters. The bark is light red 
and the heartwood redder than the other species of mangrove, 
straight fibred and fissile. 
This tree if protected will soon form the prevailing species as 
it is hardy and conies into bearing at a smaller diameter growth 
than the other kinds, and is a profuse seeder with a tendency to 
gregarious ness. It is popular as fuel and can be used immediately 
after conversion, but is supposed to burn fast, barking may ac- 
count for it. 
The bark is stripped off the freshly felled logs with “parangs” by 
women, and arranged into hollow cylinders of fixed lengths ( 9"). 
Rings made out of the climber “Jhanghat” are slipped on to both 
ends. This maintains, uniformity as chips of hark are then ham- 
mered into the crevices with a wooden mallet. Bakau bark is here 
used for filling instead of Tengah which is now rather scarce. 
I his depreciates the dye as that extracted from 11a kau bark is not 
so well absorbed and tends to harden cloth, etc., perhaps owing to 
its coarse constituents. It is easily washed out. 
In two days time a hundred bundles could be prepa-cd for ^0 
cents. The selling price per 1,000 bundles is $15 locally and from 
$20 to $25 in Penang. The price fluctuates owing to the importa- 
tion of Tengah bark from Siamese territory to which place this 
trade is chiefly confined, about 8 to 10 bundles can be extracted 
from a tree 6 to 8" diameter. 
The Tengah bark yields a rich red dye indispensable as a pre- 
servative for sails and fishing-nets, the latter being dyed eveVv 
fortnight. 
A tub is well packed with Tengah bark and then water free from 
saline or mineral matter poured in. Three brews of dye are ex- 
tracted, the liquid dye when ready being poured off and fresh 
water added to the tub. the processes taking about four months 
altogether, each time it has to be kept longer in water till the 
. required strength is attained. The first dye is extracted in about 
20 days. 
Sails and nets before being dyed must be carefully rinsed in 
fresh water and dried. Sails are steeped twice or thrice as required 
and dried each time. 
Finally to fix the dye it is put into an inverted tub placed over 
a pan of water, and steamed for fifteen minutes, care being taken 
that it lias been previously air-dried; a framework resting on 
supports in the tub prevents contact with the water underneath. 
V. P. BORGES. 
1/m 
