In the Moluccas, the pith of the sago palm is prepared for use and exportation. It constitutes the principal food of the natives of the Moluccas, especially during their sea voyages. It is cooked by simply dipping the cakes into warm water, which softens thorn and renders them easily masti cated. It is also made into a sort of soap.
The sago palm of the Spice Islands is the most plentiful but least esteemed, that of Siak, on the north coast of Sumatra, being the best, aud that of Borneo second in estimation. Sago meal furnishes the principal food of the Javanese, being baked into cakes.
The process of extraction differs among many of the islands, as that of Mindoro from that of the Moluccas; so also does the size of the cake, those of Amboyna being four inches broad and six long, while those of Ceram are much larger. The people of many of the islands live habitually on this sub .stance. The mass of medulla extracted is immense; 600 pounds is not unusually afforded by a single tree ; the refuse, after the bread is made, is thrown in heaps, from which a delicate edible mushroom springs up, and in the heaps, as well as in the decaying wood, are generated worms of a white colour, held in great estimation among the epi cureans of the Molucca Islands. Certain wood worms were in the same manner prized by the ancient Romans ; and the taste of the Arnboynese has been shared by Europeans, after a struggle with prejudices, which are indeed mere matters of custom.
The sago tree of Sumatra, according to Sir Stam ford Raffles, is found in Java only in a few low marshy situations, all of them being deep bogs next to impassable. From seven to ten years is the time it takes for the tree to bear fruit, when planted from the seed in the first instance ; the pith commences generally at about the age of six or seven years ; after this period, it gradually,loses its moisture, and is no longer fit for sago when the tree comes into bearing. One person is sufficient to dear the underwood away, as it grows up, in lt.yery lot of 100 fathorns square. The whole family Are, however, fully occupied when they cut down the trees for manufacture, which is always done on tbe spot where the tree is felled. They prepare the number
of tampin or measures required for the recep tion of the sago in the first instance, and put them out to dry ; they then fell the tree, and split it in halves by means of wedges, build a tempo rary house over it, and dig out the pith with hoes made from 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 trodden 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, troughs three or four feet in diameter, 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 workshop 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 refuse, merely keeping sufficient 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 off, 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, of the base of the cone, and the work is done. The shell of the tree is cut up for firewood, or in slips, and thrown into the marsh, to facilitate its carriage down to the boats waiting for it. This is always the seller's duty. Sago once made is obliged to be kept wet, or it would spoil in a few days ; again, kept con stantly wet, the tampin leaves soon rot ; cultivators cannot therefore keep a stock ready, but at great risk. 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 Spanish dollar, for 16 of their gan tong are equal to 20 of Singapore, or one pikul. This, however, will not keep long, as dainp throws it all into a glutinous mass, and in a short time spoils it.