Sarawak: Its Inhabitants and Productions

by Hugh Low

Overview

First Published in 1968. This book contains remarks made from the author’s notes collected during a residence of about thirty months in Sarawak, and the west coast of Borneo. The initial focus of the visit (the collection of plants and seeds,) led him more into the country, and amongst the tribes of aborigines, than any other Englishman who has yet visited the shores of this Island at the time.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781136995217
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	08/16/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	416
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Hugh Low

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER II. THE TEMPERATURE AND SOIL OF BORNEO THE VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS OF THE ISLAND DESCRIBED IN SUCCESSION THE SUGAB CANE SPICES—THE NIBONG THE BAMBOO—RICE THE COCOA NUT SAGO THE GOMUTI PALM ITS USES—THE BETEL, OR ARECA NUT—RATTANS AND CANES THE NIPAH AND MANGROVE — CAMPHOR VEGETABLE OIL3—THE GUTTA PERCHA THE tTPAB TREE—DAMMAR—WILD CINNAMON AND COTTON—PEPPER AND COFFEE—GAMBIER AND TOBACCO TIMBER TREKS ORNAMENTAL AND SCENTED WOODS—FLOWERS. The climate of Borneo, like that of most of the Eastern islands, has been found exceedingly healthy to persons whose avocations do not render great exposure necessary. The north-east monsoon, or that which blows from April to October, is the rainy period; but a day rarely passes during the south-west, or fine monsoon, without a refreshing shower : this, with the constant warmth, causes every thing to grow during the whole year, the forests being clothed with a perpetual verdure, which gives the islands, when seen from the sea, a beautiful appearance, possessed by no country in the world to so great an extent; shrubs (Hibiscus) and flowering trees (Barringtonia) always overhanging the margin of the ocean, and the inland mountains are observed covered to their summits with a dense and luxuriant vegetation. In temperature it has never been found by Euro- TEMPERATURE OF BORNEO. 31 peans to be oppressively hot; the thermometer generally averaging 70 to 72 Fahrenheit in the mornings and evenings, and 82 to 85 at 2 P.m., which is generally the hottest part of the day ; and though in the dry season the mercury has sometimes ascended as high as 92, and occasionally 93, it has not been felt soinconveniently oppressive to Europeans as a hot summer day in England. The houses of the Europeans being built near the river...

Table of Contents

CHAPTER I, CHAPTER II, CHAPTER III, CHAPTER IV, CHAPTER V, CHAPTER VI, CHAPTER VII, CHAPTER VIII. CHAPTER IX, CHAPTER X, CHAPTER XI, CHAPTER XII, CHAPTER XIII