The Gambir plantations were very numerous, as well as those of pepper; and it surprises me, that from the great and general demand for the latter production, both in the China and European markets, it is not an article of more general cultivation. Some persons have asserted that the soil of Singapore is not calculated for the production of pepper; but if in the numerous plantations I have seen, large clusters of fine berries, excellent both in appearance and flavour, is a sufficient denial of the assertion, I can readily make it, and hope its cultivation will be encouraged. Two or three thousand peculs of pepper are collected annually at Singapore.
I had fortunately an opportunity of observing at several of the Gambir boiling-houses, the process of manufacturing that extract, from the collecting of the prunings, the stripping of the leaves, to the completion. The shrubs were from five to seven feet high, with rather drooping branches; the time of collecting, is when the shrubs require pruning, which is usually every six months; and the trees would be injured, if not destroyed in value, were they not regularly pruned. It is stated, that one shrub will exist and produce the extract for twenty-five or thirty years, if properly and regularly attended to: every care is taken to keep the plantations free from weeds.
I have observed, that the time of collecting the leaves for the manufacture of the extract, was at the time the shrubs required pruning. This, on passing through a plantation, I had an opportunity of witnessing. The too luxuriant branches were cut off with a pruning knife, collected into baskets, and then conveyed to the boiling-house, which is erected in the midst of Gambir plantations, the whole of which, at the period of my visiting them, were in full operation; the leaves are then stripped from the pruned branches in the boiling-house, and afterwards placed into the Qualie or cauldron; (which is made of bark, with an iron bottom;) under this is an enormous fire, which consumes a very large quantity of wood; the leaves were frequently stirred, and such additions of them made, as were required by their diminution during the boiling process, until the cauldron being entirely full they are suffered to boil for some length of time together. After thus remaining for several hours, the leaves are removed from the cauldron, and placed upon a large bark shoot near it; and the drainings from them return into the vessel.
The leaves are usually boiled twice, and, after being well washed upon the shoot, the washings are thrown into the cauldron, so that none of the extract may be lost. The leaves are then consigned to their final destination, that of being strewn over the soil of the pepper plantations. The liquor remaining in the cauldron, as well as the drainings, is reboiled, and inspissated until it arrives at the consistence of a very thick extract: it is then placed into oblong moulds. At this time, it resembles very much a very light yellowish-brown clay. After remaining some time in the mould, it is taken out, divided with a knife into pieces, subdivided into small squares, and placed upon a raised platform in the sun to dry. It becomes, when hard and dry, of a very dark-brown colour, displaying in the interior, on being fractured, a light-yellowish brown.[67]
From my own observation, as well as from the assertions of all the Chinese manufacturers of this extract, whose boiling-houses were visited, no sago was used in the preparation, although it has been asserted by many writers, that the sago is required to give consistence to the extract; but a good extract ought certainly to have sufficient density in itself without the addition of any other substance.[68]
The flavour of the extract is very pleasant, having at first the agreeable sweetish taste of the liquorice-root, and afterwards a not unpleasant astringent bitter flavour. The largest quantity of this extract is consumed in Java; being used by the Javanese in coarse dyes, as well as a masticatory. The Dutch government encourage, to a great extent, the cultivation of Gambir, at their settlement of Rhio, on the Island of Bintang, as they derive a large revenue from its importation and extensive consumption in Java: a prohibitory duty being also placed upon all Gambir produced in foreign settlements, has still further caused the increase, and still increasing, preparation of it at Rhio. I am indebted to the kindness of a mercantile gentleman at Singapore, who visited and resided for some time at Rhio, for the following observations upon the cultivation and preparation of the Gambir at that settlement, together with the quantity annually exported.
The island of Bintang contains about six thousand Gambir plantations, the larger ones consisting each of from eighty to a hundred thousand trees; the smaller plantations, or, as named by the Malays, gardens, contain from three to four thousand. The shrubs are in full bearing, and covered with foliage, ten months in the year; but during December and January, the leaves change to a yellow colour, and consequently are then in an unfit state for producing the extract. Of course, at some parts of the year, the Gambir manufacturers have nothing to do, the shrubs not being in a fit state for pruning; but if the demand for the extract is very great, the rack-renters will, even at the risk of destroying the plantation, cut off the branches, and convert both them and the leaves into extract. There are at present upwards of eight hundred plantations in Rhio, completely ruined by this system, which took place in the month of April last, at which time Gambir extract was in very great demand. One boiling-house, or manufactory, is usually attached to about every forty Gambir plantations. It may be observed, that during the rainy season the extract produced is of an inferior quality to that which is made during hot, dry weather, although the foliage being in greater proportion, more extract is yielded by them.
During the wet season, vegetation is very rapid in its progress on the shrubs: if stripped entirely of their foliage, it is not an uncommon circumstance, in the space of five days, to see them renewed, and covered with verdure. The production of Gambir, during the year 1829, amounted to thirty-one thousand peculs; in 1830, it amounted to thirty-five thousand peculs; in 1831, to forty-seven thousand peculs; in 1832, to sixty-three thousand peculs; and for the present year, 1833, will amount to full seventy thousand peculs; and each pecul, of one hundred and thirty-three pounds, pays to the Dutch government the sum of eight rupees, which, at seventy thousand peculs, brings to them the large annual revenue of five hundred and sixty thousand rupees.
It is surprising that no place has yet been found in the Eastern Archipelago from whence Gambir can be procured that can at all compete in quality with that produced at Rhio. The island of Lingin produces a quality next to that of Rhio; and it is worthy of remark, that Rhio owes its good name to Lingin, as the Gambir, the produce of that island, was not held in any estimation, until Rhio planters (Chinese) went to Lingin to acquire the art of manufacturing it; and they also brought with them the Gambir plants from that place to Rhio, where it was found to thrive and produce a better extract than at Lingin. A Gambir plantation, after it has attained three years’ growth, may be considered capable of yielding good extract, and will continue to do so, if properly attended to, for the space of nine or ten years.
The Chinese, possessing plantations of Gambir at Singapore, informed me, that twenty thousand peculs were manufactured annually upon the island; and some quantity of it was taken away by the Borneo and other native vessels. There are one hundred and fifty Gambir plantations upon the island, not including a number of plantations of young trees not yet producing the extract: there are also about one hundred and seventy plantations of the pepper-vine upon the island.