The Bugis traders of Borneo barter European and Chinese productions with the natives for the canes. These are then taken to Batavia, Soreataya, Singapore, Penang, Ste., and are there purchased by European merchants, and shipped to London and Liverpool. The majority of those produced at Coti and Banjarmassing go to Holland : those from Perak, to Penang, being re-shipped thence to London, and known as " Penang quality." All the rivers of Northern Borneo abound in canes, and 4000 tons might be cut every year without exhausting the supply. The inhabitants would contract to cut them for a trifle; but the cost of carriage to shipping ports and for freight would equal 50 or 70 per cent. on the first cost. By far the moat valuable rattan, perhaps a distinct apecies, is brought from Banjarmassing, on the south coast of Borneo. It is worth 150 per cent. more than any of the others. Vast quantities of rattans are shipped from the Malay Archipelago to Europe, India, and China, probably amounting in all to four or five millions from British territory alone.
A few species are found in Madras territory ; but in India they chiefly abound in the foresta of Chittagong, Silhet, and Assam, whence they extend along the foot of the Himalayas as far north as Dheyra Doon. The East Indian rattans from Calcutta are very inferior, and usually glossy ; those from the Eastern Archipelago are, except the Penang and Sumatra varieties, not glossy. Rattans of rather coarse kind are found in all parts of Formosa. A small trade is done in them to the Chinese coast, whore their low price often affords them a market before the finer but dearer kinds from the Straits.
The most common " ground rattan is the Rhapis flabelliforrnis, which grows all over China, but especially in Lin-kin and the southern districts. It attains a height of 30 ft. and upwards. Most of the fibre used by the Chinese is than the hark of this plant (see Fibrous Substances). Their great use among us is for walking-sticks, for which purpose they should be chosen tapered, heavy, well glazed, and with short joints, preferably those with roots attached, and always of sufficient length to cut up into a definite number of sticks, 38 to 42 in. long, without waste.
The mode of collecting rattans is as follows :—A native goes into the forest with his paranj, or bill-hook, to cut as many as be can carry. Having cut a cane, he hacks notch in the nearest tree; next he strips off a small portion of the outer bark of the cane, and inserts the peeled part in the notch in the tree. By siinply pulling it through, he easily and rapidly divests it of its leaves and epidermis. When he has gathered and peeled about 300 or 400 canes, which are as many as he can carry in a green state, he sits down, doubles up each one, and ties them in bundles of 25 to 100. All that is necessary to fit them t'or the market is drying, a very easy matter in a
tropical country. By this process, the canes assume the yellow colour with which we are familiar, some becoming glossy, others dull. On account of the small amount of labour entailed in their preparation, they can he sold very cheap. The natives usually sell them by tale (100); the Chinese merchants, by weight (the picul, or 133f lb., containing nine to twelve bundles); in India and the United Kingdom, they are sold by tale, and are imported hither in bundles of 100, worth from ls. 6d. to 3s.
On account of their lightness, flexibility, length, and strength, canes are applied to a great many purposes in the countries where they grow. One variety, C. rudentum, is used in enormous quantities for cables, cordage, and fishing-lines, after being split and twisted. The splitting is performed longi tudinally ; the canes are then soaked, and attached to a wheel. One person turns this, while a second binds the split cane together, adding others to the length from a quantity carried round his waist. From the cordag,e thus niade, bridges, hundreds of feet in length, are constructed; over these, laden men, and even men on horseback, pass with ease. In China, houses and sheds are built of rattan, at a cost of about 5 dollars each. Much of the beautiful and elaborate basketwork of the Chine:e and Japanese is from this source. Mats made from split cane are exported from China to all parts of the world. Very large quantities also are employed as thread, for sewing pieces of fahrie together to form coverings for boats, carts, &e., as a substitute for tarpaulins ; and for joining the leaves of palms, constituting the root's and sides of dwellings. Another very wide application of thin threads of the cane is for the bottoms of rice-sieves. The well-known broad-brimmed Chinese hats are made of the same material plaited. The applications to which canes are put in this country are scarcely less important and varied. For all large baskets, such as are used in cotton mills, sugar refineries, and most factories, as well as for those employed on railways, and by gar deners, hucksters, coal-dealers, and washerwomen, canes have almost entirely replaced buffalo hide, &c. They are unusually well adapted for milking the baskets used in transporting carboys containing acids—forming an important branch of the basket-maker's trade—as the silica contained in the outer bark serves as a protection against the acid, which is sure to be spilled on them sooner or later. The manufacture of balloon cars, rustic and garden chairs, lattice-work, meat safes, and brooms, also consumes a large quantity. Rough matting also is made of rattan, and is sold at 28. to 2s. 6d. the square yard.