306 
SAGO. 
The final process is another roasting, which renders them hard 
and tough, and greatly reduces their size. The pearl sago 
thus prepared and fit for exportation, is put away in large open 
bins ready to be transfered to boxes or bags when sold. 
The method of making pearl sago which we have described 
appears to have undergone no improvement or change what¬ 
ever since it was introduced into Singapore in 1819. One of 
the oldest manufacturers informs us that it was taught to 
the first Chinese who tried it here, by a woman who came from 
Bukit Batu, a place on the coast of Siak facing the large island 
of Bancalis, and famous for its great fishery of the tmbu , the 
roe of which is so extensively used. We should rather have 
supposed that it was introduced into Singapore from Malacca, 
where manufactories had existed for many years before the 
establishment of Singapore. It is certain however that Ma¬ 
lacca derived the art from Bukit Batu, where it originated 
about the beginning of this century. It was long kept secret, 
but in Singapore it appears almost from the first to have been 
conducted without any attempt at concealment. 
From 20 to 30 men are employed in the larger manufacto. 
nes, but if their labours were confined to the making of pearl 
sago, 16 men would suffice for a manufactory such as we have 
described above, and they would produce about 450 piculs 
per month. Their wages are, for the roasters and the man 
at the throughs 4 dollars, and for the other men 2i to 3 dol¬ 
lars a month, and they receive their food besides. The origi¬ 
nal outlay is probably from 300 to 400 dollars. The profit 
of course varies greatly, and the business cannot be so certain¬ 
ly lucrative as has been sometimes supposed, since there have 
been instances of failures. There are at present fifteen Chi¬ 
nese manufactories in Singapore, and two have recently been 
commenced by Europeans. We doubt their being able to com¬ 
pete successfully with the Chinese, unless they can introduce 
a more perfect washing and granulating process, that adopted 
at present requiring so much labour, and being attended with 
so much waste, that unless the full work be got from the 
Chinese employed, there will be little room for profit. The 
Chinese method of preventing all loss of labour which they 
carry into most of their undertakings, is brought into the sago 
concerns also. One of the principal shareholders lives in the 
manufactory, and the best workmen have sjpall shares in the 
profits besides their wages. 
tatned in the granules being heated first converts the meaty starch into a 
jelly and then escapes by evaporation, leaving the jelly tough. The second 
torrefaction drives out the remainder of the water. 
