7G
over a wide range of country extending from Munipur(lat. 25° X., long. 94° E.) to Tavoy (lat. 14° X., long.97° E). It attains its greatest size in the valley ofKubbu, distant about 200 miles from the sea-shore. Thetrees average from 30 to 40 feet high, and have a circum-ference of from 5 to 11 feet, 4 feet above the ground.
A good tree yields about 10 or 12 lbs. of varnish, annu-ally, and its value at Prome, on the Irawaddi , is aboutlOrf. the pound : it is used in enormous quantities by thenatives. Dr. Wallich states that the natives never expe-rience those deleterious effects from handling the varnishin its liquid state which Europeans generally suffer: in its ;fresh state it has very little pungency of taste, and is ialtogether devoid of smell. The natives are very apt to jadulterate that brought to market with sesamum oil. The j“ Gurjun-tree,” which flourishes in the same districts, |and especially in the valley of Kubbu, attains very large idimensions: Captain Grant describes it as having a!straight stem of more than 40 feet to the first branch, |and a circumference of 13 feet and upwards. i
Samples of the empyreumatic oil of teak-wood are con- ,tributed by \V. P. Horsley, from Palamcottah. Two jremarkable oils, apparently analogous to the wood-oils,are contributed from Coorg, but without any information;one of these, a thick blood-red oil, is stated to be ob-tained from the Hottlera tinctoria.
Interesting specimens of the “Calambak” or eagle-wood, the true lignum aloes or Lignum parudisi, sohighly esteemed in the East as a perfume or incense, areshown in the East Indian collection. This remarkable !wood, which contains a large quantity of an odoriferousoleo-resin, is called “ Kayu Gam” in the Indian Archi-pelago, and is produced by the Aloexylum agallochum ,Lour.: when heated it undergoes a sort of imperfectfusion, and exhales a fragrant and very agreeable odour.Its price in Sumatra is about 3(>Z. per cwt.: inferiorspecimens are likewise contributed from Malacca. Eagle-wood is also obtained from several other trees, as from theAquilaria agallochn in Silhet . The true eagle-wood is,however, very scarce.
The specimens of African gums and resins from Aden,sent by the Bombay Committee, and exhibited in theEast Indian collection, are remarkably fine. The samplesshown are varieties of myrrh, olibanum, dragon’s-blood,and gum-arabic.
The collection of gums and resins exhibited by T. A.Pieris, of Kandy (p. 938), is interesting; unfortunately,it is not accompauicd by any botanical or statisticalinformation, which considerably diminishes its practicalvalue. The specimens shown are labelled—
1. Diwolgum.
2. Devul gum.
3. Gokhuto gum.
4. Kekuna gum.
5. Dammar.
6. Kohombe gum.
7. Othium gum.
8. Kos gum.
9. Hick.
10. Gamboge.
11. Ilildummcle gum.12 Cadjic gum.
incense, and called Omm-el-harker, or “ the mother ofblessing.”
T. B. Duggin (49, p. 980) exhibits a fine sample ofanime, said to he abundantly produced by the simiri, orlocust-tree, on the river Berbice : this was deemedworthy of Honourable Mention.
A specimen of Ilawai gum, a variety of frankincense,from the river Demerara, is shown by J. Outridge(51, p. 980), who also shows a sample of indifferentcaoutchouc, from the Demerara river (47. p. 980).G. R. Bonyun (50, p. 980) exhibits some Kannan, ablack resinous substance, said to be the inspissated exuda-tion of the mannee-tree, and used by the fishermen onthe river Essequibo to preserve their nets: it has, how-ever, the appearance of being an artificial compound,containing wax. A good sample of balsam of copaiba,from the Pomeroon river, Essequibo, is exhibited byJ. S. Stutchbury (46, pp. 979, 980).
Fine specimens of anime from the locust-tree (Jft/me-neea courbaril ), from Arima (p. 973), and also of incense(Trichilia trinilenis), are shown in the collection of raw'produce of Trinidad, sent by his Excellency Lord Harris,the Governor (see p. 71).
Several good specimens of resin and gums are shownin the Australian and Van Diemen’s Land collections,including the gums of the black and silver wattle, Acaciamollissima and dealbata (Xo. 296, p. 998), shown byLieutenant Smith, R.N., deemed worthy of HonourableMention; and other varieties of gum-arabic; and somefine samples of the Grass-tree gum, or “ Black-hoy gum,”the resin of the Xanthorhcea Australis. The specimens ofAustralian gums and resins exhibited by the ColonizationAssurance Corporation are particularly fine; includingseveral varieties of arabic, or acacia gums, and theXanthorhcea resins, they form part of the collection forwhich the Jury have awarded a Prize Medal (see p. 71).
The resins shown by J. Milligan, of Flinders’ Island,Bass’s Straits, including specimens of the “ Black-boygum” (Xanthorhcea resin, 81, p. 994) ; the fine pale resinof the Oyster-hay pine ( Callitris Australis), from theeastern coast of Van Diemen’s Land, and the Acaciamucronata gum, also from Flinders’ Island (254, p. 997),were likewise deemed worthy of Honourable Mention.
A fine sample of Kauri , or cowree copal, the produceof Dammara Australis, a very beautiful resin from NewZealand , exhibited by \V. Brown (16, p. 1001), wasdeemed worthy, by the Jury, of a Prize Medal. It isstated that this resin may be obtained, in any quantity, inthe northern parts of New Zealand , ranging from 20 milessouth of Auckland to the Xorth Cape. A small sample ofthis resin, exhibited by G. M. Mitford, was deemedworthy of Honourable Mention.
Some excellent specimens of lac, benjamin, dammer,gutta perclia, and caoutchouc, &c., from the EasternArchipelago, are exhibited by Messrs. W. P. Hammondand Co. (p. 988), in the collection of raw produce, forwhich a Prize Medal has been awarded by the Jury (see
Of these specimens it may be observed that Xo. 2 seemsto he excellent gum “arabic;” Xo. 7 resembles inferiorgum-arabic: and No. 1 appears to be a variety of “ Cherry-tree gum;” Xos. 4,8, 9, and 11 are resins, and apparentlynot of any great value; Xo. 3 seems to be a kind ofgamboge; Xo. 10 is gamboge, probably obtained fromthe Hcbradendron cambogoides, and Xo. 12, though itseems to be a difficultly-soluble kind of gum, like Xos. 1and 7, is remarkably pure and of good colour. The Jurydeemed this series worthy of a Prize Medal, in conjunc-tion with the collection of oils from Ceylon, also shownby the same exhibitor (see p. 82).
Very few specimens of African gums or resins areshown. A tolerable sample of the gum of Acacia horrida,and a fair specimen of mixed gum arabic from the Capeof Good Hope , is exhibited (p. 952). Mr. WarwickWeston exhibits a fair sample of “copal” from thewestern coast. There are also shown a fine sample ofgum-arabic from Ayer and Touat ; a light-colouredresinous substance resembling copal, from Abbeakuta; ablack, pitch-like matter from Timbuctoo, called Bekhourior incense; and a resin used by the natives of Bornou as
p. 71).
Dr. Feuciitwanger, of New 'iork (469, pp. 1464,14G5), has shown a very excellent specimen of bleachedshell lae. This was deemed deserving of HonourableMention.
In the Mexican collection is a sample of a remarkableorange-coloured resin, called Pipitzahuac, but of whichno particulars are given.
The Egyptian collection of raw produce, for which, asa whole, a Prize Medal has been awarded by the Jury(seep. 71), contains some good specimens of gum (120, 121,p. 1409). The selected gum of Sennaar is of excellentquality, and was deemed worthy of Honourable Mention.
The purified turpentine shown by J. F. Fleury, of Bor-deaux (214, p. 1184\ prepared by a patent process, wasfound to be excellent, and therefore deemed worthy ofHonourable Mention.
A fine sample of copal, from Angola , shown in thePortuguese collection by F. R. Batalha (458, p. 1313),was also deemed worthy of Honourable Mention.
An excellent series of specimens of turpentine, and ofthe resins and volatile oil obtained from it by distillation,is shown by Flores, Calderon, & Co., of Burgos (241,