At Rhio, as well as in Gambir manufactories generally, the whole of the leaves, (and sometimes even the stalks,) without any regard to their selection, are used. It appears, also, that when the qualie, or cauldron, is new, the extract prepared in it becomes very dark, and is sold only as a second quality at Rhio, and is almost unsaleable in the Java market: after the cauldron, however, has been in use for one or two years, the extract manufactured in it becomes of a much lighter colour. As the cauldrons are made principally of bark, it must be some colouring matter in it that is bestowed upon the extract; from this circumstance the old cauldrons are held more in estimation than the new. It appears that the white kind made at Rhio, by the women in their own houses, is not a regular article of commerce; but is preferred by a few for its refined appearance: it is prepared and brought into a white state, by the extract being re-dissolved, and passed through several washings, until the sediment has become of a white colour, when it is taken out, formed into cakes, and dried in the sun. It is rarely used in comparison with the other kinds of the Gambir extract.
As we left the plantations, and entered the jungles, a dense vegetation surrounded us on every side, except the small pathway which led through it: the pathway, overshadowed by trees and entwining plants, made our walk during the heat of noon-day, in these situations, delightfully cool and refreshing. The Sukun utan, or wild bread-fruit trees, were very numerous in the jungle; the forest trees, towering to a great elevation, without a branch except at the summit, gave them much the character of those of Australia, but unlike them, in not having their foliage dull and arid. Many birds were shot, of the fly-catcher tribe, of handsome plumage; a beautiful small black falcon, not more than four or five inches in length, and some other small birds; but the feathered tribe were far from numerous: the swallow (not differing from our European species) was abundant about the settlement of Singapore; but I did not observe any in the interior of the island.
About eight A.M. we arrived at the extensive Gambir and pepper plantations, garden, orangery, and neat habitation of a Chinese, who informed us that he had been ten years upon the island. We breakfasted at this place, a servant having been previously sent on with provisions; but we always found the Chinese planters eager to provide us with any provisions they had. He supplied our table, however, with some excellent oranges from his garden: he has upwards of two hundred orange trees, (which had been originally brought from China,) of large size and in full bearing, which brought him in a good annual income, from the sale of the fruit in the Singapore market. He said he had expended fifteen thousand dollars upon the cultivation and improvement of his farm.
Many Chinese are settled in the interior of this island, upon land for which no quit-rent having been paid, they render themselves liable to lose the ground they have cleared and cultivated, unless they pay the heavy sum demanded by the government as quit-rent. However, I am not aware of any such oppressive measures having yet been resorted to by the government, and hope the tax on the industry and general cultivation of the land will be removed altogether; and by bestowing small grants upon the settlers, render the island a garden instead of a jungle—productive, instead of barren.
Although I devoted much attention to the subject of quit-rents, and collected much information on the question, I do not consider that I can do better than insert the following intelligent remarks, which have been published in the Singapore Chronicles of January 24th, and February 7th, 1833. The subject is one immediately connected with the welfare of the island; and should the tax be rescinded, which would encourage both emigration and cultivation, we may expect to see the dense forest give place to houses and plantations, smiling with the animation such scenery would occasion, encouraging industry, and adding to the wealth of the settlement.
“We have already noticed, on one or two previous occasions, the great prohibitions which exist to the cultivation and consequent improvement of this island, in the excessive quit-rents which are required by government on all grants of land, whether within the limits of the town, or beyond it. The terms of this impost we have already noticed, but we think the subject will not suffer by our mentioning them again.
“Persons desirous of clearing and cultivating waste and forest land, must make application to the superintendent of lands, stating the district and place where the land is situated; also the description of land, whether hill or level land, and also its extent. After due survey, the superintendent will report the application to the chief civil authority, who, if no objection exists, will grant a permit to clear the land, which must be effected within such time as may be determined. The land being cleared, the holder of the permit shall be entitled to a lease, subject to the following limitation and provisions:—that the rate of rent shall not exceed one dollar per acre, on the first lease given, fifteen years being the duration;—that the lease so granted shall be, at its expiration exchanged, for a second lease for a future term of fifteen years, at such rate as shall be determined on, not exceeding three dollars per acre;—that on the expiration of the second lease, a third, for fifteen years, shall be granted, at a rate not exceeding six dollars per acre;—that on the expiration of the third lease, a fourth shall be granted, at a rate not exceeding ten dollars per acre.
“It shall be optional with the government, in the event of the leaseholder refusing to accept a lease at, or under the rates above specified, to eject the holder and resume the land with all buildings thereon. The rate of ten dollars per acre, being declared to be the maximum of rent demandable for lands occupied for cultivation, and beyond the limits of the town of Singapore, or any other town that may be hereafter established, it shall be optional with leaseholders to demand a permanent lease of nine hundred and ninety-nine years at the rate of ten dollars per acre, per annum.
“The foregoing rules, however, are applicable only to lands beyond the limits of the town, and occupied for agricultural purposes; those respecting ground occupied within the limits of the town, for the erection of buildings, being different. For such ground, the rate of quit-rent has been fixed, on regular leases for nine hundred and ninety-nine years, at one dollar for nine hundred and sixty-six feet, or in the proportion of forty five dollars per acre.
“Such are the terms on which land is held at this settlement, and which we declare to be prohibitions to an extended cultivation and the general improvement of the island. In the first place, with regard to land beyond the limits of the town, the rent, even on the first lease, cannot be considered moderate, at a dollar an acre, as the leaseholder must necessarily incur considerable expense, at the commencement, in clearing the land, which, for the most part, is overgrown with jungle and forest. To repay himself for this expenditure, and to render the speculation worthy of his time and attention, the ground must be made to yield productions calculated to realize some profit. Those most likely to do so, on this island, (from its hilly nature,) are spices, and certain descriptions of fruit. But many years must elapse before the trees will bear, during which the leaseholder is involved in a necessary and unavoidable expense, which his undertaking may finally be unable to repay.