2 DR. KTEK ON ^HE COPAL OF ZATTZTBAE. 



I mistake not, are to this day desiderata in all our collections), let 

 me briefly state my reasons for thinking that in this tree we have 

 the source of the older Zanzibar Copal, the semifoasil or bitnmi- 

 nized resin known in the English market as " Anime," and which is 

 the most valuable of all resins for the manufacture of varnish, ex- 

 ceeding anything produced on the west coast for hardness, 

 elasticity, and polish. 



There are three distinct kinds of Copal in the Zanzibar trade, sub- 

 divided by merchants into many classes, according to colour, form, 

 surface, and other peculiarities known to those in the trade, and 

 affectiug the value variously in different markets : first, we have 

 " Sandarusi-m'ti," Tree-Copal; second, *' Chakazzi," or Copal dtfg 

 from the soil, but modem (seemiugly) in origin and obtaining a 

 price like that of the former quality ; the third is the trtfe San- 

 darusi, like the second, dug from the soil, but hard, les^ soluble, 

 and more than twice the value. This forms by far the greatest 

 part of Zanzibar Copal, the export of which has sometimes reached 

 800,000 lbs. at a value of £60,000. 



I have already described the "Tree-Copal:" it is gathered 

 directly from the tree, which is known along the coast from Mo- 

 zambique to near Lamo, or from 3° to 15° south lat., but is most 

 common between Cape Delgado and Mombas. The Trachylo- 

 hium Mossambicense^ KL, is found along the creeks and on the 

 maritime plain or the old sea-beach, but becomes very rare at a 

 little distance inland, and quite unknown long before the change 

 in geologic structure offers an explanation of its absence. It re- 

 quires the near presence of the sea for its growth, and dies when 

 far removed from its influence. 



The second sort, or " Chakazzi " gum, is found in the ground 



modem 



true Conal. That 



it is found near the existing forests is certain ; and there the true 



wn 



ment that it is also found in the interior, from this well-known 

 fact, that our informants habitually mix the inferior coast-gum 

 with the valuable produce of the interior. This " Chakazzi " is 

 obviously the recent gum which has remained a short time in the 

 soil after the death of the tree which produced it, yet long enough 

 to take the impression of sand and stone, or other hard matter, 

 as the hardest sealing-wax long left on a coin will take the im- 

 pression, or as ice will flow down a valley. 



T?« 



