Sago in its granulated form is that usually exported. The best sago is the produce of Siak, on the north coast of Sumatra. This is of a light brown colour, the grains large, and not easily broken. The gags) of Borneo is the next in value; it is whiter, but more friable. The pro duce of the 3Ioluccas, though greatest in quan tity, is of the smallest estimation. The cost of granulated sago, from the hands of the grower or producer, Wafi according to Mr. Cra‘vfurd, only a dollar a pikui of 133i lbs. It fetches in the London market--common pearl, 20s. to 26s. the cwt. ; sago flour, 20s. the cwt. The Chinese of Malacca and Singapore invented a proces.s by which they refine sago so as to give it a fine pearly lustre.
In most parts of the Archipelago, two kinds of alluvial soil are found in greater or less abundance, OLIC consisting chiefly of sa.nd, often thrown up in long banks, and the other principally of decom posed vegetable matter. The latter is often a consequence of the production of the former, which serves to keep out the WILVCS of the sea, and allow a rank vegetation to flourish. In pro cess of time, by the elevation of the surface and the extension of a similar formation. seaward, the older marshes are no longer subject to tidal invasion, and become gradually filled up by the decay of fresh-water plants. For these two descriptions of soil, nature has provided two kinds of palm adapted in a wonderful manner to the necessities of man. On tlae barren sand she has planted the cocoanut, and iu the morass the sago tree.
.Along the immense alluvial tract of the Sumatm coiuit, from Siak to the lampongs, and in the large plains of the rivers of the Peninsula, such ea those of Rio, Formosa, and the Muar, are hun dreds of niilea of sago kind unoccupital and un productive, every acre of which is capable of yielding at the rate of about twenty thousand pounds of meal yearly.
One or other of the kinda of the sago tree is found throughout the whole length of the Archi pelago, from the islands off the west emit of binnatra to New Guinea. It is probably capable of flourishing with complete vigour across nearly its entire breadth wherever its natuml soil occurs, and certainly within ten degreea north and south of the equator, a band which includes all the Archipelago save the Philippines. The only countries, however, where it is found growing in large forests are NeNv Guinea, the Moluccas, Celebes, 3findanao, Borneo, and Sumatm, being widely spread over the 3foluccas, but confined particular parts of the others.
In the eastern parts of the Archipelago, it forms in many places the chief portion of the inhabitants' food. The sago palms do not appear to be indigenous in Sumatra and the 3Ialay Peninsula.
It is from palm trees of the Archipelago that the sago of commerce is usually obtained. In most of the islands of the Archipelago the sago palms are private property, and sell at about seven shillings a tree. In making fillo0 meal, a tree is cut down close to the ground, tfie leaves and leaf stalks cleared away, and a broad strip of the bark taken off the upper side of the trunk. This exposes the pithy matter, which is of a rusty colour near the bottom of the tree, but higher up pure white about as hard as a dry apple, but with wooden 'fibres running through it about a quarter of an inch apart. This pith is cut or broken down into a coarse powder by means of a club of hard and heavy wood, lia.vine. a piece of sharp quartz rock firmly imbedded in% its upper end. successive blows, narrow strips of the pith are cut away till it falls down into the cylinder formed by the bark, leavin,g only a skin uot more than half an inch in thickness. These pith strips are then put into a washius•-trough made of the largo sheathing vases of th°0 leaves, and the strainer is the fibrous covering from the leaf-stalks of the young cocoanut. Water is poured on the mass of pith which is pressed against the strainer, and kneaded until all the starch is dissolved, and passes through into a trough with a depression in its centre, into which it is deposited, the surplus water trickling away. When the trough is nearly full, the mass of starch, which has a slightly reddish tinge, is made up into cylinders, neatly wrapped in sago leaves, and in this state is sold as raw sago or sago meal. When this is boiled with water, it forms a thick glutinous inass, with a rather astringent taste, and is eaten with salt, limes, and chillies 'nen sago bread ia to be made, raw sago is broken up, dried in the sun, powdered, and finely sifted. A sinrdl clay oven with 6 or 8 alits, of an inch wide and 6 or 8 inches square, is heated over a clear fire of embers, the powder is finely sifted, the openings are covered with a flat piece of sago bark, and in about five minutes the cakes are turned out sufficiently baked. They aro pleasant to eat. When not wanted for immediate use, they are dried for several days iu the sun, and tied up in bundles of twenty. They will then keep for years, can be eaten in that state, or soaked in water and toasted or boiled. A tree 20 feet long, and 4 or 5 feet in circum ference, will produce 900 pounds, and a pound weight will produce three cakes, and two of these cakes are sufficient for a man for a meal. Two men will finish a. tree in five days, and two women will bake it all in five days more, so that for about 12 shillings, one man's food for a year will be had.