Class IV.]

SESAMUM, RAM-TIL, AXI) OTHER INDIAN OILS.

81

Indore (p. 878): these were deemed worthy of HonourableMention.

Specimens of Sirri, or lemon-grass oil, Andropogonsrhoenanthus ■. are likewise forwarded from Sumatra . Thefragrant volatile oil obtained from various species ofandropogon is now extensively imported into Englandfor the use of perfumers; it is brought from Travancore under the name of oil of geranium.

A series of attars from different plants is sent fromMoluccas : but unaccompanied by any information: theyare labelled :—

1. Kodjamas. ( 4. Pulasare. 7. Tjimlor.

2. Ananas. , 5. Goolang. 8. Abier.

3. Yailang. 6. Tjoelang. 9. Rampsing.

A good sample of oil of cloves is exhibited by T. Key

of Madras (p. 878); some excellent oils of kayu-pateh,or cajeputi, and macassar, from the Celebes , are shownby Syei> Omar (p. 878); and a fine sample of sandal-wood oil, obtained from Suntahun album , is contributedfrom Cauara.

Good specimens of sandal-wood oil are also contributedfrom Mangalore and from Coorg.

In connexion with the volatile oils, an interesting spe-cimen of the Barus (Borneo) camphor may be mentioned.It is obtained from the Dryobalanops camphora , inSumatra, and is chiefly exported to China , where it isvery highly valued, selling at nearly one hundred timesthe price of common camphor. It is said that the Chineseemploy it to mix with, and improve the flavour of theordinary camphor of commerce: this, however, is highlyimprobable; it is most likely valued for its supposedmedicinal qualities. Specimens are contributed by theSingapore Committee (p. 878), and were deemed worthyof Honourable Mention.

The collection of fixed fat oils is even still more nume-rous, and includes contributions from various exhibitors,some of whom send specimens of similar oils, but obtainedfrom different localities. The Jury awarded a Prize Medalto Messrs. Saintk and Co., of Cossipore, near Calcutta (pp. 878, 879), for their samples of refined cocoa-nut oil. ,They also awarded Prize Medals to II. II. the MaharajahKao Scindia, of Gwalior , II. II. the Rajah of Viziana- igram, Lieut.-Colonel Tulloch, the Commissary-Generalof Madras, Mr. T. Bishop, of Tanjore , and Professor J.Key, of Madras, for specimens of the fat oils of India. !The following are the most important of the oils includedin these collections, and in the general series of theHonourable East India Company :—

1. Sesamum oil. Three varieties of til, or Sesamum [orientale , are extensively cultivated throughout India forthe sake of the fine oil expressed from their seeds; theseare “ suffed-til,” the white-seeded variety; “ kala-til,”the parti-coloured variety: and “tillee,” or black til; itis from the latter that the sesamum, or “ gingelly” oil ofcommerce, is obtained. Sesamum seed contains about 45per cent, of oil; good samples of this oil are contributedfrom Vizianagram, Ganjam, Ilydrabad, Tanjore , thedistrict of Moorshedabad, and Gwalior . The samplesexhibited by H. H. the Rajah of Vizianagram (p. 879) jare particularly fine; the value of the Novvooloo Pyaroo,or gingelly seed, is stated to be about 4/. per ton in theN. Cirears. The samples shown by the Commissary-General of Madras, and by Professor Key, are also ex-cellent.

2. Ram-til oil. An oil resembling that of the sesamum,obtained from the seed of the Guizotia ohifera, a plantintroduced from Abyssinia, and common in Bengal.Specimens of this oil from Bombay, Vizagapatam , andGaujam, are shown. From the latter place there is asample of the oil obtained from another variety of Gui-zot ia, the Valusa mum, or Guizotia abyssinica, which isvery similar to, if not identical with, the G. ohifera. Theram-til. or valisaloo seeds, yield about 34 per cent, ofoil; in Vizianagram the oil is used exclusively for burn-ing ; its value there is stated to be about lOtf. a gallon.The samples shown are of a dark-brown colour, and evi-dently impure.

3. Ground-nut oil, obtained from the seed of the Bhoemoong (Moong phullee), or Arachis hypogo;a , a plant

pretty extensively cultivated in various parts of India ;the seeds contaiu about 44 per cent, of a clear pale-yellowoil, which is largely used as food, and for lamps. Samplesof this oil are sent from Bombay by T. Key ; from Malwa,and from Malacca . Two varieties of the ground-nut, orKatjang tanah, are cultivated in Malacca , the white seed,and the brown seed ; specimens of these, as well as of theKatehary, or Katjang oil from Malacca , and also Java,are exhibited. This plant is much cultivated in Java, inthe vicinity of sugar plantations, and the oil-cake is us-edas manure.

4. Oil of Kossumba, or Koosin-oil, a pale browuish-' yellow oil, obtained from the seeds of Carthamus tine -

torius , which contain about 28 per cent. A good sampleof this oil, as well as of the eartbamus seeds, is scut fromBombay.

5. Shersha, or oil of mustard. Excellent oil is ex-pressed in various parts of India from the seeds of differentspecies of Sinapis , especially from the Sinapis commonlycalled black mustard, &c. Specimens of mustard oil fromSinapis toria, from Meerut ; from black mustard, fromTanjore ; from Sinapis glauca , from the Chota Nagporedivision; and mustard seed from Ghazeepore , and variouslocalities, are shown.

6. Castor oil, obtained from the seeds of Picinus com-munis. Good specimens of this are exhibited from Tan-jore, contributed by Mr. Bishop, from Beerbhoom, Bellary ,

1 Madura, Tinnevelly , and Java (p. 879). The common; jungle lamp oil, of which a sample is also shown from• Tanjore by T. Bishop, is a variety of castor oil.

7. Poppy oil, obtained from the seeds of Pupauer snm-niferum. Good specimens are sent from Tanjore , by Mr.Bishop, from Calcutta , and from Bombay (p. 879). Thesample from Tanjore is almost colourless, and deservesspecial commendation.

8. Croton oil. Expressed from the seeds of the Xar-paula, or Croton s}). nearly allied to C. tiglimn ; samplesof this are shown from Vizianagram and Ganjam; a very-good specimen is exhibited by J. Key (p. 879).

9. Poon-seed oil. Hoenda, oondee, or Pinnacoltay oil.The seeds of the Poonay tree, the Calophyllum inop/iy//um,or Alexandrian laurel, contain a large quantity of oil,which constitutes nearly 60 per cent, of their weight. Ascommonly prepared, it has a dark-greenish colour, derivedfrom the colouring matter of the seed. It is perfectlyfluid at common temperatures; but begins to gelatinizewhen cooled below 50 . Specimens of this oil are exhi-bited from Palamcottah, from Bombay, from Madura, andTinnevellv, Malwa, and by T. Bisiiop, from Tanjore (p. 879).*

10. Limbolee oil, obtained from the seeds of Bcrgerakoenigii ; it is of a rich-yellow colour, perfectly clear andtransparent: from Bombay.

11. Napala oil, procured from the seeds of the Caatft-munaka, Bhoga cherinda, or Jatropha curcas ; the angular-leaved physic nut. A beautiful pale-yellow oil, used bythe natives in medicine, and as a lamp-oil. Good spe-cimens are contributed by the Commissary-General ofMadras; from Vizianagram and Ganjam; an inferiorsample, called Bhoga bhirinda, is sent from Beerbhoom.

12. Linseed oil—tissee til. Contributed, together withsamples of linseed, from Moorshedabad, Bombay, Patna.

13. Mulu unnay oil, expressed from the Brumadundoounnay, the seed of the Argemone mexicana , an oil used invarious parts of India for lamps, and in medicine.

14. Cheeroojee oil, obtained from the Tumbi pullumthe fruit of the Chirongia sapida, or Buchanania latifolia .

15. Kanagn nune, or Kurrunj oil, procured from theseeds of the Pongamia glabra , or Galedupa arborra ; ahoney-brown and almost tasteless oil, fluid at commontemperatures, but gelatinizing at 55 : . Specimens of theoil are contributed from Vizagapatam and Tannah.

16. Mooneela oil; Varoo samgaloo Nona?, obtainedfrom the seed of Dolichos biforus ? exhibited by T.Bishop (p. 879), from Tanjore ; a pale-yellow clear oil.

17. Caju apple oil; Moontlia maunnerley noonse; ex-pressed from the seeds of the Kapa mava, or Anacardiunioceidentale ; contributed by T. Bishop (p. 879), fromTanjore.

18. Poonga or Poon (?) oil, from the seeds of Sapindus

G