Captain Munro on the Timber Trees of Bengal. 93 



using it. Captain Baker writes of Red Jarool as a fine wood, 

 growing to a great size in Chittagong, but brought to the 

 Calcutta market too small to be of much use except for pic- 

 ture-frames and other similar purposes. The Chittagong 

 forests are said to be nearly cleared of the best, a thorny 

 species of Jarool ; the others are of little value. It is con- 

 sidered a valuable wood in ship-building. Hamilton describes 

 it as growing of six feet girth in Goalpara, much used in 

 building, but soft. Captain Hannay, in describing the wood 

 in Assam, says it is well known at Dacca, and is admirably 

 adapted for that portion of boats under water; and, well 

 seasoned, it is a good wood. This Jarool is very scarce. I 

 have seen the tree growing to a great size in the forests of 

 Malabar, where it is not much esteemed. 



21. Assun — Terminalia tomentosa, "VV. and A. — Arjun, Ar- 

 juna, W. and A. — T. bellerica, T. calappa, &c., &c., but often 

 for their great size very useful. Hari is a common name of the 

 different species amongst the natives. They are to be found 

 all over India, and generally valued where they grow. Rox- 

 burgh mentions one species as growing to such a size as to 

 be made into solid wheels for Buffalo carts. The Assuns 

 were found, by Captain Baker, to sui'pass every other tree in 

 elasticity, to break with 903 lb., with specific gravity of 986. 

 Captain Hannay speaks in the highest terms of two species, 

 but he describes the wood as very light ; whereas, from the 

 specific gravity mentioned above, it is evidently a very heavy 

 wood ; he says the wood has the quality of standing the 

 weather well, and kept constantly in water, to harden and 

 get black coloured. It appears to me admirably adapted for 

 oars and ship-spars. 



The above are, I believe, the most valuable timber trees 

 in Bengal, and the number is indeed a large one, to which I 

 could have added as many more, nearly as good, plainly shew- 

 ing that there is no country in the world to surpass this in 

 its timber produce. I regret much that my approaching de- 

 parture for England renders it impossible for me to make this 

 list as complete as I could have wished. The subject is a 

 deeply-interesting one, and having paid great attention to it 

 in India, I hope some little advantage may have been de- 



