On the Gamboge of the Tenasserim Provinces. 2i7 



the language of Dr Wight, that "the tree or trees which 

 produce the gamboge of commerce is not yet known." 



Dr Heifer, who was employed by Government as a scienti- 

 fic naturalist in these provinces, at an expense of 1300 rupees 

 per month, reported, " the gamboge of this country dissolves 

 very little with water, and consequently does not yield that 

 yellow emulsion as the common guttifera. It wdll never 

 serve as a colour, but promises to give a very beautiful var- 

 nish." This statement was controverted by a writer in our 

 local periodical at the time, who said he had obtained " fine 

 gamboge of the very best description" from our jungles : in 

 which he was no doubt correct ; but he erred when he added 

 that it came from the " true Stalagmitis camhogioidesr A 

 very small amount of botany would have served to preserve 

 him from falling into this error ; for the plant has a quinary 

 arrangement of its flowers, while the arrangement of the 

 flowers in those that produce gamboge in these provinces is 

 quaternary. 



The hills that bound the valley of the Tavoy river, on both 

 sides, from their bases to their summits, abound with a tree 

 which produces a fine gamboge. It is Roxburgh's Garcinia 

 pictoria, which he knew produced gamboge, but which he said 

 was liable to fade. As soon as I satisfied myself of the iden- 

 tity of the trees by an examination of the inflorescence of 

 our plant compared with Roxburgh's description, I coloured 

 a piece of paper, one band with this gamboge, and another 

 with the gamboge of commerce ; and subsequently exposed 

 both to the weather equally for more than twelve months, 

 but without being able to discover that one faded any more 

 than the other. South of the latitude of the mouth of Tavoy 

 river, and throughout the province of Mergui, there is found 

 on the low plains at the foot of the hills, and on the banks 

 of the rivers, almost down to tide waters, another species of 

 garcinia that also produces good gamboge. I have no doubt 

 but it is the tree from which Dr GrifRths furnished Dr 

 AVight with specimens, and which the latter says, " I refer 

 doubtfully to Wallich's G. elliptical We will call it then 

 a. clliplica, a species which Dr Wight has on his list of 

 " Bpecies imperfectly known." The foliation and female 



