SAGO. 
299 
split it in halves by means of wedges, build a temporary house 
over it and dig out the pith with hoes made front the rind of the 
tree. They then carry the pith up into the house, the floor of 
which is latticed so close as just to allow the finer parts of the 
medulla to pass through on being wetted with water and trod¬ 
den by the feet. Into this house the produce of two or three 
trees is brought at a time, and all the finer parts are carried down 
by the water into the trunks of the trees,* 3 or 4 feet in diame¬ 
ter which are cleanly hollowed out and left below to receive it. 
In order that no wastage may take place, they lead a mat, 
made also of the leaves of the palm, from the floor of the work 
shop down into the shells of the trees, and this carries the 
water without spilling any. They trample'it until the water 
passes through clear of the farina, and then throw away the re¬ 
fuse, keeping sufficient merely to stuff the ends of the tampin. 
By the next day the medulla has settled in the trunks of the 
trees, leaving the water at the top ; this is drawn oft and the 
sago flour thrown in its wet state into the tampin already 
prepared, and left to strain itself—some refuse pith is then put 
on the end before left open, the base of the cone, and the work 
is done. The shell of the tree is then cut up for firewood or 
in slips and thrown into the marsh, to prevent the poor devils 
going quite over head in carrying down the sago to the boats 
waiting for it. This is always their duty, for if the Malays who 
come to purchase could not get this included in their agree¬ 
ment, the chances are they would go elsewhere in search of 
the sago. Sago once made is obliged to be kept wet or it would 
spoil in a few days ; again, kept constantly wet the tampin 
leaves soon rot; cultivators cannot therefore keep a stock rea¬ 
dy, but at a greater risk than these savages choose to undergo. 
They have a method of frying the meal over the fire called there 
sago randang, which sells for a real or 82 cents of a Sp. dollar, 
for 16 of their gantongs are equal to 20 of Singapore or one picul. 
This however will not keep long; as damp throws it all into a 
glutinous mass and in a short time spoils it, and it may easily 
be supposed that their situations are not very dry and airy ! 
At Appong the sago is made by Orang Utan or people of 
the woods, who speak a jargon of Malay, are not Maho¬ 
metans, and eat the hogs, deer, &c., with which their island 
abounds. The maritime Malays who visit them for sago, 
are obliged to be always upon their guard, and not unfre- 
quenfly wait 2 months for a cargo of a few hundred tampin; 
if they take money to purchase they get it much quicker’, 
but require additional caution in making advances* There 
* A boat is often used, 
s s 
