529 
RANGE OF THE GUTTA TABAN COLLECTORS, AND 
PRESENT AMOUNT OF IMPORTS INTO 
SINGAPORE. 
In the first number of this Journal, an account of Gatta Tab an 
appeared* which we are happy to inform our able contributor has 
been republished in a very great number of periodicals both in India 
• 
and Europe, and lias been acknowledged on all hands to be the best 
and most complete description of the Gatta that has yet been given. 
At a later period we gave some details respecting its collection by 
the Orang Binua in Johore.f At that time the principal supply 
was obtained from Johore, into the jungles of which parties of Ma¬ 
lays and Chinese had penetrated in all directions, while nearly the 
wffiole indigenous population were engaged in the search. In con¬ 
sequence of the equivocal position in which Government appears to 
consider it politic to allow the Sultan to remain, the Tamungong has 
absolute power over the country, and it is to his energetic measures 
that Singapore has been indebted for a large part of the Gatta 
hitherto imported. Following the usual Malay policy the Tamungong 
declared the Gatta a Government monopoly, so as to secure to himself 
the greatest share of the profit on the product. The price allowed by 
him was a fair one, sufficient to induce the Malays to give the col¬ 
lection of Gatta a preference to other employments, and to leave 
them a profit of 100 to 400 per cent on what they procured from 
the Binua. The Tamungong himself sent out numerous parties of 
from 10 to 100 persons, and caused the tribes of hereditary serfs, 
such as the Orang Sletar, to be entirely employed in searching for 
Gatta. For the same purpose the Sabimba tribe were transported 
into Johore from the forests of Battain.J Subsequently the islands 
of the Johore Archipelago were laid under contribution, and {£ rnena- 
ban”§ became the cry amongst all their land, river and sea tribes. || 
* Gutta Percha, by T. Oxley Esq., ante vol. i. p, 22. 
T The Binua of Johore, ante vol. i. p. 261. 
t Ante, vol. i. p. 386*. 
i A word which the discovery of Gitta Taban has added to the Malay 
language. The greater number of Malay nouns admit of conversion into 
verbs by a preQx. Menaban, from taban, signifies to collect Gitta tib&n. 
|| Ante, vol. i. p, 296. 
Y 
