— 104 — 



was £ 7 — 10 per ton, which, converted into rupees at the 

 current rate of exchange, amounted to K. 107. In Calcutta 

 the average rate varied from R. 67 per ton for squares to R. 76 

 per ton for planks. The prices obtained are very much below 

 those for which the early consignments were sold seven years 

 a,go, and it is believed that more recent shipments have not 

 been of such uniformly good quality and colour, as it is desirable 

 to send. By a more careful selection of the timber for the 

 Europa market, which should be insisted on, there will, in my 

 opinion, be every prospect of commanding better prices approxi- 

 matiug those obtained for the smaller lots in 1883 and 1884. 



In 1878 a suite of furuiture made of Andaman Padauk was 

 exhibited at the Paris Exibition bij Messrs. Jackson and Graham, 

 who described the wood as being a " straight-grown wood, 

 with rather a coarse open grain, but without any strong figure 

 or markings. When first cut, it is of a reddish brown colour, but 

 it fades to much the same colour as teak — a wood it resembles 

 very much — and it is about as hard, but much heavier. We 

 (ionsider it suitable for all kinds of furniture." 



Eight years later — in 1886 — Padauk timber, exhibited 

 at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition, attracted much attention, 

 and it was considered to be specially adapted for cabinet work 

 and carriage-buildiug. 



The introduction of Padauk wood into the Londonmarket 

 may be said to date from the time of the Indo-Colonial Exhibition. 



In July, 1886, at the suggestion of the Superintendent of 

 Port Blair (Andamans), advertisements, were inserted in the 

 (Jalcutta-Madras- and Rangoon-newspapers inviting merchants 

 and others to purchase two lots of Padauk wood of 500 tons each 

 and a third lot of 500 tons, which were to be ready in November 

 1886, and Januari 1887 respectively. 



Fortunately for the future of the timber, no tenders were 

 received in response to the advertisements, as, at the latter 

 date, the advertised quantity hat not been draggcd out of the 

 forests. In August 1886, sanction was asked for arraugements 

 being made to schip a consignmént of Padauk to England in 



