A TRIP TO PROBOLINGGO. 
of this tree, Called ££ Euyung” is stringy and very hard, whilst the 
centre is soft and spongy; in order to be able to drive it into the 
ground, it is necessary to cut the lower end in the shape of a wedge, 
so as to bring the ruyung to a sharp edge, and so save the heart 
from the violence of the blows. At the top, in order to prevent the 
rain water from working its way into the heart and thus rotting the 
soft centre of the tree, about a foot of the pith is scooped out and 
replaced by cement; the whole is then well covered with coal tar. 
This palm is found in great abundance at particular spots on the 
coast, in the eastern districts of Java, and has perhaps originally 
been introduced from the continent of India. In Sumatra and the 
western or Sunda districts of Java, it is only rarely found and that 
in the neighbourhood of the sea shore. Eastward of Samarang it 
begins to be more plentiful. At Tuban, Grissee and the opposite 
coast Of Madura it is very abundant, as well as about Bezoelde, 
Large quantities of Toddy, here called “ Legdn” are tapped from 
the tree about Grissee and daily brought by boat loads for sale in 
the town of Sourabaya. It is not found at a distance from the sea 
coast, and being most abundant at the eastern end of Java, where 
In all probability was the great emporium, in days of old, to which 
the Hindus resorted in quest of the spices brought from the Mo- 
luccus, such a tree, of so much use on the continent of India, 
was very likely to be introduced by the traders. From time imme¬ 
morial, its leaves were the material on which oriental nations wrote 
with an iron stile, to which their sacred writings were committed, 
on which their daily transactions were recorded. On the continent 
of India and in Ceylon, it is to this moment in universal use amongst 
the natives. In Java it has been supplanted in a great measure by 
cheap Chinese and European paper, but on the neighbouring island 
of Bally, it is still in great requisition. Its name, even in Java still 
points to its Hindu origin of Tala or TaL In Sumatra and the 
Sunda districts both the tree and leaf are known by the name of 
Lontar* which Crawford savs is derived from the ancient Polynesian 
word Ron, a leaf and Tal, the Palmyra, only that the initial R and 
L have been transmuted. To the eastward a greater variety is 
found in its designations. From Samarang to Tuban, the word 
* There are no Lontar groves in Lombok and the tree is only found grow¬ 
ing where it has been planted as a curiosity. In this Lombok differs from 
Bali, w here every w here forests of it are found and it is known by the name 
of Dontat. The lontar sugar on Lombok is imported from Bali.— Zollinger; 
Tjds,thrift 9th year No. 5. page 201. 18-17. 
r 2 
