Bennet, in his work on “Ceylon and its Capabilities,” (1843), states that sago is procured from the granulated pith of the talipot palm, Corypha umbraculifera.

The Sagus Rumphii, Willdenow, and S. farinifera, Gaertner.—­Before maturity, and previous to the formation of the fruit, the stem consists of a thin hard wall, about two inches thick, and of an enormous volume of tissue (commonly termed the medulla or pith), from which the farina or sago is obtained.  As the fruit forms, the farinaceous medulla disappears, and when the tree, attains full maturity, the stem is no more than a hollow shell.  Sago occurs in commerce in two states, pulverulent and granulated. 1.  The meal or flour as imported in the form of a fine amylaceous powder.  It is whitish, with a buffy or reddish tint.  Its odor is faint, but somewhat unpleasant and musty. 2.  Granulated sago is of two kinds, pearl and common brown.  The former occurs in small hard grains, not exceeding in size that of a pin’s head, inodorous, and having little taste.  They have a brownish or pinkish yellow tint, and are somewhat translucent.  By the aid of a solution of chloride of lime they can be bleached, and rendered perfectly white.  The dealers, it is said, pay L7 per ton for bleaching it.  Common sago occurs in larger grains, about the size of pearl barley, which are brownish white.

Sago is an article of exportation to Europe, and is also shipped to India, principally Bengal, and to China.  It is in its granulated form that it is usually sent abroad.  The best sago is the produce of Siak, on the north coast of Sumatra.  This is of a light brown color, the grains large, and not easily broken.  The sago of Borneo is the next in value; it is whiter, but more friable.  The produce of the Moluccas, though greatest in quantity, is of the smallest estimation.  The cost of granulated sago, from the hands of the grower or producer, was, according to Mr. Crawfurd, only a dollar a picul.  It fetches in the London market—­common pearl, 20s. to 26s. the cwt., sago flour, 20s. the cwt.  The Chinese of Malacca and Singapore have invented a process by which they refine sago, so as to give it a fine pearly lustre, and it is from thence we now principally derive our supplies of this article.  The exports from Singapore in 1847 exceeded 61/2 million pounds, but are now much larger.

The following is a description of the manufacture of this important article of commerce:—­The tree being cut down, the exterior bark is removed, and the heart, or pith of the palm, a soft, white, spongy and mealy substance is gathered; and for the purpose of distant transportation, it is put into conical bags, made of plantain leaves, and neatly tied up.  In that state it is called by the Malays Sangoo tampin, or bundles of sago; each bundle weighs about 30 lbs.