Page:Journal Of The Indian Archipelago And Eastern Asia Series.i, Vol.2 (IA in.ernet.dli.2015.107695).pdf/599

 The Tamungong s collectors even went as far as Língá, and had pro-cured a considerable quantity when the Sultan's eyes were opened to the value of his jungles. He confiscated a part of what had been col-lected, and, following the Tamungong's example, declared gattá tábán a royalty. At the period of our visit to the interior of Johore the Tamungong had made arrangements with the Bindahara to secure the tábán of Páháng.

The knowledge of the article has now slowly spread from Singapore in different directions, but we believe has not yet extend-ed to the geographical limits of the tree. The Singapore collectors have almost everywhere been the first to carry this knowledge to the natives of the different countries. To the north the gattá col-lectors have reached as far as Perák on the Peninsular side of the straits of Malacca (embracing Johore, Malacca, Salangor and Perak), and Siak on the Sumatran side as far as Páné and Bilá. To the south the whole of the Johore Archipelago and the adjoining coun-tries on the east coast of Sumatra as far as Plembáng (including the forests on the Kampar, Indragiri, Tunkul, Rite, Jambi and Plem-bang rivers) now furnish tábán. On the east coast of the Peninsula the knowledge of it has not yet advanced beyond Páháng. To the east-ward it has reached some of the rivers of Borneo, such as Bruné and Sáráwak in the north, Pontianák on the west, and Koti and Pássir on the east, coast. It thus appears probably that the range of the tá-bán embraces the whole of Borneo. It is remarkable that although a botanist, Mr. Lobb saw, numerous tábán trees in the jungles of Pinang, and Dr. Oxley in June last informed our mercantile readers there that it was found abundantly on the mainland opposite them,* they do not appear to have been able up to this moment to get a supply on the spot, and they seem destined to wait till the knowledge of the tree slowly reaches the Malays of Kedáh from Singapore. As it is now being disemminated in the adjacent state of Perak it will probably soon advance to the latitude of Pinang.* Although the Dutch

Ante, vol. i. p.24. + Since writing the above we have heard that 12 piculs of taban have been lately brought to Pinang from the southern part of Province Welles-ley, adjoining Perak.