from the appearance of the leaf that the fibre would prove of any 
value. Leaves of Pandanus fasciculans , and P, hazda and also ot 
P. helicopus , the Resau were tried. All unexpectedly produced a 
fair or good fibre. Further samples were made especially of that o 
the Resau, and samples sent to the firm of Behn Meyer & Coy, m 
Hamburg. On this it was reported: There will be a good demand 
for this fibre, estimated value for 50 Kos 19 to 20 marks ex quay 
Hamburg. The valuation works out to about $> 9-75 P er P 1 ^ 11 fiee 
on board Singapore.” 
Messrs. Riebow of Hamburg also says of it “ Hemp equal to 
sample, provided whiter in colour and better cleaned, values about 
£22-24 a ton. The Hemp should not be twisted or in tresses but 
should best be packed in such a wav in about 2 kilos a bundle, tied 
up at one end with a string cf the material itself and packed in even 
layers, pressed and sewn in linen bales of about 150 to 200 kilos 
each. The sample shows a quality similar to Mauritius hemp the 
value of which to-day is about £28 to 38. 
A Jant/.EX reports “ In case fibre could be better cleaned and 
be procured in length of 5 to 7 feet, these advantages would make 
a valuation much easier than it is with the present sample. 
V very great drawback to be considere ! is the very small resis- 
tive power cf the fibre: should it he possible to make the fibre 
absolutely 7 tough so that it might resist a heavy s'. lain latgc quan- 
tities could certainly be placed. 
My valuation for. a quality equal to your sample id- 
better cleaned ... £18 t° 20 
equal to my sample ... xo 4 t° 35 
Messrs. IT.i.TEN and irUH.EAU.ME report: -Provided the colour 
were throughout as white as part of the sample it may perhaps be 
possible to use the fibre as a substitute for inferior Mauritius hemp 
with the exception, however, that your sample shows a much weaker 
fibre and (is one which) possesses almost no strength. 
The Hamburg firm (Behn Meyer) writes on these reports that the 
great defect seems to be the very small resistive power of the fibre. 
According to your (Mr. SchtrMER’s) report there would not be 
much difficulty' in obtaining better cleaned hemp, and a whiter 
colour. I have telegraphed transmitting not too high a valuation as 
I know by experience that high valuations are always likely to be 
given only with a view of securing the business. 
The Resau is a river pandan which occurs in vast beds in the 
rivers of Johor and Sumatra as well as elsewhere in the Peninsula. 
In the rivers it is a positive nuisance, blocking them up with their 
creeping stems so that in many places it is necessary to keep the 
river open bv cutting the plants away. One often has to travel 
for miles between the great walls of a dense mass of this plant 
