13 
i Gunong Tunggal is in the midst of a large area of land suitable for agricul- 
tural purposes, but the hill itself is in general too steep for cultivation. It contains 
a large proportion of damar laut ( Shorea gratissima Dyer) of a large size, and other 
good timbers. 
There are also a good many climbing gutta plants, “getah grip,” (a species of 
Willoughbeia), which the Malays in the neighbourhood requested permission to be 
allowed to tap. There are no existing boundaries in the form of rivers or paths that 
can be utilised, and a good forest boundary, by connecting it with Sungei Raja Itam, 
would serve the double purpose of defining the area to be reserved and providing an 
opening into the agricultural land around the base of the hill. 
12. Tanjong Hantu is a rocky point of land covered with small timber of good 
quality, and is sufficiently well defined by the road from Simpit to Telok Sera and 
Sungei Puya on the landward side, and the sea on the other. 
13. Lumut Reserve includes a range of low hills covered with small useful tim- 
ber, the boundaries of which are sufficiently well defined on two sides. 
14. It is impossible to state with any approach to accuracy what the acreage of 
these areas amounts to, as the District has not been surveyed, and the accompanying 
plan is intended rather to show the relative positions than the areas. 
15. There is still a large stock of Digterocarpeae and other valuable timbers in 
the Dindings, for which there will be a demand at no distant time, but the Chinese 
will not go far back, except in the case of valuable trees such as chengal, until they 
have quite exhausted the forests bordering the streams, and unfortunately in these 
places they clear out everything of value, leaving none for seed-bearing, and destroy- 
ing thousands of saplings. 
16. All cutting within the reserves should be at once stopped, and as there is a 
sufficiency of timber for present wants in other places, it will not greatly affect any 
one. When these areas are worked it must be on a plan that will ensure natural re- 
production of the best timbers. 
17. A small staff of Forest Guards will be necessary in order to prevent illicit 
cutting and, no doubt, these can be utilised by the District Officer, under whom they 
should be placed, to check the produce taken out of unreserved forests under passes 
issued by his office. 
18. No specially qualified Forester is, for the present, necessary; demarcation, 
survey and protection, being the immediate requirements of the District. 
19. Chengal is even scarcer than I had anticipated, and unless the cutting is 
prohibited there will not be a tree remaining in two or three years. 
Ebony is the only other tree that I would at present recommend to be placed in 
this class, though I may at some future time with a more intimate knowledge of the 
contents of the forests, have to suggest others. 
C. CURTIS, 
Assistant Superintendent of Forests, Penang . 
APPENDIX D. 
Penang, jist January, iS 8 g . 
SiR, — I have the honour to report, for the information of His Excellency the 
Governor, that, in accordance with instructions, I proceeded to the Dindings on January 
19th, taking with me a case of economic plants in pots, the weather being too dry at 
the time for lifting plants from the open ground. 
2. During six days I travelled over as much of the District as was possible with- 
out the aid of a steam-launch, which was unfortunately in dock, and examined the 
state of agriculture and nature of the soil. . 
3. With the exception of Lumut Estate, on which tapioca and sugar are grown, 
the principal cultivated products appear to be coco-nuts and patchouly, both of 
which give a good return. The tapioca crop is looking well, aiid the machinery for 
manufacturing flour will be erected shortly. 
4. Pepper is being tried on a small scale in three or four different parts of the 
District, and grows well, especially near the District Officer’s house at Pangkor, but 
the proper method of cultivation is not understood by the owners. The plants have 
been allowed to grow up to the tops of the supports, instead of being layered as is 
done by the Achinese planters in Province Wellesley. I explained to them practically, 
by treating plants in their presence, that when a pepper plant begins to branch it 
