66 
sorted into sizes, the fibres being very mixed in size, from stiff thick 
brittle masses into the finest possible thread. The sorting and 
arranging of these fibres and combing out any dirt there may be 
among them is all the work necessary in preparing the fibre. Many 
years ago, Mr. BulkeLEY, visiting Singapore, was much struck by 
this fibre as useful for brushes especially for boiler brushes, as the 
fibre is not affected by hot water, and an attempt was made to pro- 
cure a quantity for him, but the business was stopped in its inception 
owing to the want of a middleman to attend to the necessary work 
of sorting, baling, and shipping [See Bulletin, 1903, p. 403). With 
the rising interest in fibres of all sorts, however, we may hope that 
this fibre may eventually form an article of export to the home 
markets. 
The palm is easily grown from seed and in good soil attains a 
great size in a few years. It lasts for about 20 or 30 years, when it 
commences to flower from the top downwards, emitting at every 
joint a large hanging bunch of male and female flowers alternately. 
The fruit, dull yellow, as big as a small apple, contains three seeds, 
and are produced in great abundance ; when the flowering has nearly 
reached the base of the tree it dies completely. 
In many parts of the Peninsula it grows spontaneously, coming up 
all over* the campongs, and as the plant requires no care it is very 
common in all the villages. 
The fibre, which is quite black, is very strong and durable, and 
suited for cordage, cables and such work, as it resists sea water very 
well. There is a piece of a cable in the Sandakan Museum which 
was found attached to an antique anchor supposed to have belonged 
to a ship of one of the early explorers of that part of Borneo. The 
cable seems to be in a complete state of preservation and though 
now brittle it still retains its form and colour,, The Malays make 
cords for tethering buffaloes, and ornamental work with this fibre, 
and quite a thin cord will hold the most lively byffalo without break- 
ing. 
Royle states that a coarse line of this fibre stood a breaking 
strain of 85 pounds, wljen a similar line of coir broke at 75 pounds 
and that a ship’s anchor in the Hooghly was raised by a cable of 
this fibre when three Russian cables had broken in the attempt to 
raise it. The fibre is light and floats on water and is as elastic as 
that of coir. The chief objection to its general use seems to be its 
black colour, but in these days when good fibres of all kinds are in 
request so useful a fibre would not be likely lO be rejected as use- 
less from its colour. 
The thicker fibres are well adapted for brushes, and would per- 
haps take the place of Kitul and Piassava to a large extent, and 
probably would be cheaper than either. Rope and other articles 
made of this fibre are always exhibited at the local agricultural 
shows, and it is really the best known fibre in the Peninsula. There 
seems therefore no reason why it should not come into use in Europe. 
