Gutta Percha. 
21. On my return from leave at the beginning of November, I received from 
the Hon’ble the Resident Councillor some correspondence with reference to “ Gutta 
Taban” ( Dichopsis gutta). I have not yet had time to examine all the forest 
reserves so as to be able to give a definite idea of the number of trees in Penang but 
I am certain that there are many more than is generally supposed. 
In one morning, I counted twenty-three trees, some of them sixty feet high, and 
the smallest forty. The largest measured 51 inches in circumference at 6 feet from 
the ground and the smallest eleven inches. With the exception of a few young trees, 
two to four feet high, found near two of the largest trees, there appears to be nothing 
intermediate in size between those mentioned ( which are probably all about the 
same age) and young seedlings of three or. four months' old, which shows that some 
of the trees fruited during the past year. There are several possible wavs of 
accounting for the absence of trees of intermediate stages, such as the destruction of 
the seeds or young plants by animals, or as is sometimes the case in this country, 
the trees only fruiting at long intervals, but 1 believe the correct explanation lies in 
the fact that up to 1884 which was the first conception of Forest Conservancy in this 
Settlement every Gutta tree was cut down in the customary native manner as soon 
as it was big enough to pay for working and before it was old enough to produce 
seeds and this season is the first crop of any importance that has been produced for 
a long time. 1 am confirmed in this opinion by the fact that we have been watching 
for fruit of this tree for many years and only on one occasion succeeded in getting a 
few just sufficient for herbarium specimens. About eight hundred young plants have 
been collected and planted in pots to be grown on until large enough to be planted 
out in some suitable place. 
Propagation by cuttings again proved a failure. Attempts at tapping one tree 
in the same manner as Para-rubber proved a failure, a little gutta is obtained when 
the incisions are first made but not enough to pay for collecting in this manner, anVl 
a renewal of the cuts as in Para-rubber yield nothing. 
Botanical Tours. 
22. In February, 1 obtained the use of the Government Steam Launch for four 
days and visited the Langkawi Islands. Many of the small Didymoearps and other 
rock plants were however shrivelled up and difficult to find. Most of the trees on 
the smaller rocky Islands were quite leafless and presented a striking contrast to the 
vegetation in Penang at the same season. 
Impatiens Mirabilis (Gouty Balsam) which was one of the objects of my journey, 
1 found quite leafless at this season. 
It grows on and between sharp pointed dark coloured rocks within a few yards 
of the sea beach and at a short distance has a striking resemblance to the antlers of 
a deer. Plants five to six feet high, and with stems more than a foot in diameter 
at the base were seen, but the branches are so brittle that it is almost impossible to 
get them down from the rocks without damaging them. I did not attempt to bring 
away the largest plants, and those we did get were only obtained in good condition 
by placing several men in a line a few feet apart and passing the plants from hand to 
hand, then moving on and repeating the process. 
To move about on these sharp rocks in an upright* position is a matter of great 
difficulty even with strong boots, and with bare feet almost an impossibility. 
Many other interesting plants were collected and it is desirable that a visit 
should be made to these Islands about the middle of the rains. There are no doubt 
many small rock plants that are not to be seen in the dry weather and that is the 
only season at which any collector has so far as I know been there. 
The reason for this is that during the South-West Monsoon it is not very safe to 
go out in a small Launch and there is no other way of doing it except in a sailing 
boat. 
On my return from the Island of Terutau to Kwah, I had the good fortune to 
meet there His Highness the Rajah Muda of Kedah, who not only assisted me at the 
time hut promised every assistance should it be found possible to get out there this 
year during the wet weather. 
23. In October, Mr. Fox, while acting here, made a short visit to Perak and 
added many specimens to the herbariums both in Penang and Singapore. He also 
collected many living plants lor cultivation, 
C. CURTIS, 
Assistant Superintendent of Forests, 
ijth January , igoo 
