or the Burmese Varnish Tree. 71 



capital, and stretch in a northerly and easterly direction to. 

 wards China for many miles." ^' 



That the Kheu which Mr Smith describes is the same aft 

 that found by Captain Grant, there cannot be any doubt ; 

 nor that it is identical with the Theet4see^ or varnish-tree of 

 the Burmese. It follows, hence, that the tree has a very wide 

 geographical range, extending from Munipur (in latitude 25° 

 N. and longitude 94° E.) to Tavoy (in latitude 14°, longi- 

 tude 97°.) The valley of Kubbu, which has been ascertained 

 by actual survey, made by Lieutenant Pemberton, to be only 

 five hundred feet above the plains of India, is distant two 

 hundred miles from the nearest sea shore. The tree there 

 attains its greatest size, and I believe it becomes smaller as it 

 approaches the sea on the coast of Tenasserim, where it grows 

 in comparatively low situations. 



Our tree belongs to the Deciduous class, shedding its leaves 

 in November, and continuing naked until the month of May, 

 during which period it produces its flowers and fruit. Dur- 

 ing the rainy season, which lasts for five months, from the 

 middle of May until the end of October, it is in full foliage. 

 Every part of it abounds in a thick and viscid greyish-brown 

 fluid, which turns black soon after coming in contact with the 

 external air. In the Edinburgh Journal of Science, vol. 

 viii. page 96 and 100, there are two interesting articles, con- 

 taining valuable information concerning the varnish produced 

 by our tree, and its deleterious effects on the human frame. 

 It is a curious fact, that, to my certain knowledge, the natives 

 of the countries where the tree is indigenous never experience 

 any injurious consequences from handling its juices : it is 

 strangers only that are sometimes affected by it, especially 

 Europeans. Both Mr Swinton and myself have frequently 

 exposed our hands -to it without any serious injury. I have 

 even ventured to taste it, both in its recent state and as it is 

 exposed for sale at Rangoon, and have never been affected by 

 it. It possesses very little pungency, and is entirely without 

 smell. I know, however, of instances where it has produced 

 extensive erysipelatous swellings, attended with pain and fever, 

 but not of long duration. Of this description was the effect 

 it had on the late Mr Carey, a son of the Reverend Dr W. 



