200 DR. ROXBURGH ON THE GENUS AQUILARIA. 
where, by various accounts, they attain to a very great size,—as much as about 120 feet 
in height, with a trunk of above 12 feet in circumference. Accounts from Assam make 
it still larger. Flowering-time, in its native soil, uncertain; but in this Garden a very 
healthy young tree, out of several that were sent to it some years ago by Mr. Robert Keith 
Dick, the Judge and Magistrate at Silhet, was in flower in March and April last, and 
again in April 1810. 
Dzsc. Trunk (in our young trees) straight, and clothed with thin, smooth, ash-coloured 
‘tough bark. Branches nearly erect, with their terminal, bifarious, alternate, extreme twigs 
recurvate, bark of the branches light grey, with many small ferruginous fissures; young 
shoots clothed with white, soft, appressed hairs.. Wood white, very light, soft and porous. 
Specimens from large trees in their native soil are also uncommonly soft and light, with 
a slight tinge of yellow, and not unlike the softest porous deal; every part inodorous, and 
nearly tasteless. The moisture (for nothing like exudation is found here) scraped from a 
fresh-cut twig was rubbed on the eye and eyelids of a chicken, without producing any 
inflammation or apparent irritation. This does not accord with what Father Camellus 
says of the true Agallochum tree, viz. “The bark is filled with virulent, milky juice, so 
very caustic as to cause blindness if it gets into the eye,” &c. I can well believe the pale 
milky juice of Excecaria Agallochum very capable of doing injury to tender parts, and 
probably our reverend traveller may have lighted upon that tree, which was said to yield 
an inferior sort of Agallochum. Leaves alternate, bifarious, short-petioled, lanceolar, firm 
and smooth, lucid deep green, except while very young, then somewhat sericeous, which 
is more conspicuous underneath, taper acute pointed; entire waved margins; length from 
3 to 6 inches, and from 1 to 2 inches broad. Veins nearly as fine as in Calophyllum Tno- 
phyllum. Petioles very short ($ or 4 of an inch), rugose, and a little hairy. Stipules none, 
except an opposite, oblong, hairy scale or two at the base of the most tender axillary 
shoots, like those of a gem, or bud. Inflorescence simple, solitary, subsessile, beautiful, 
small, spherical umbels, at nearly equal distances between or from the leaves (internodes). 
Flowers numerous (20-40 to the umbel), pedicelled, small, pale greenish yellow, inodo- 
rous. Bracts none. Calyx 1-leaved, campanulate, permanent, half 5-cleft ; segments 
tain any ; and such as do, have it very partially distributed in the trunk and branches. The people employed in this 
business proceed two or three days’ journey among the hills, jungles and mountains, and without discrimination cut 
down the trees as they are found, young, old and withered, but the latter are generally preferred; they then, on the 
spot, search for the Aggur, which is done by chopping off the bark, and into the wood, until they observe dark- 
coloured veins, yielding the perfume which guides them to the place containing the Aggur, and which generally 
extends but a short way through the centre of the trunk or branch. In this manner they search through the whole 
tree, and bring away only such pieces as contain the oil, or have the smell of it. In this state there are four denomi- 
nations, viz. 
Ist. Ghurkee (sinks)...... So ee which sells from 12 to 16 rupees per seer (of 2 Ibs.), 
2nd. Has no other name than Doim.... ditto 6 to 8 ditto 
3rd. Simula (floats) ................ ditto 3to 4 ditto 
4th. Choorum (small pieces, which float) ditto lto 14 | ditto 
* The tree grows in sandy as well as clayey soils, on plains, and on the sides and tops of the hills; neither root, 
epis nor bark yield any Uttur. Some trees will produce a maund (80 lbs.) of the four sorts. The oil is obtained 
y bruising the wood in a mortar, and then infusing it in boiling water, when the Uttur collects itself on the surface." 
