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n,43 BEES-WAX. 239
in those foreign parts approach them by covering their bodies with a leather
coat, drive out and disperse the swarm by making a smudge of foul-smelling
grasses, when the nest is taken away and the honey squeezed out. What
remains of the nest is the wax, which is melted into a form and reduced to
5 proper shape.
Some dealers adulterate the substance by mixing with it lime and rock-
salt (^ ^). The produce of San-fo-ts'i is the best; the next quality comes
from Chon-la, and the poorest from San-su, Ma-i and P'u-li-lu.
Note. ,
10 Besides the countries here mentioned, we learn from the first part of this work that
bees-wax was also procured in Tongking, Tan-ma-ling in the Malay Peninsula, western Borneo,
the Celebes and Moluccas, from northern Formosa, and from Ha'nan, the wax from the last
named country being of very poor quality.
Crawfurd, op. cit., Ill, 438 says that nbees' wax constituted a very valuable aud consi-
15 derable article of commerce in the Archipelago. The greatest supply is obtained in the islands
furthest to the east, and, above all, in Timur and Flores. The trade is principally with China
and Bengal.»