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Nuddees, they are found as far as sixteen miles from the hills, 

 but as here the atmosphere is drier than at the hills, the produce 

 is not near so abundant. 



In the Noradooar forests, covering about two thousand square miles, 

 the atmosphere is drier, but the caoutchouc obtained from trees 

 close to the hills is good. 



In the Chydooar forests caoutchouc trees are only found in the forest 

 along and immediately at the foot of the hills. They are also 

 most abundant in the Luckimpore and Naga hill districts, as well 

 as in the low valleys of the mountains immediately adjoining 

 them. — Report on the caoutchouc of commerce — James Collins, 

 F.B.S., Edin. 



In the Island of Java, however, it seems also to be indigenous ; 

 Blume (1. C). in 1825, states that it grows on limestone, gives 

 the vernacular name as Karet, Karet-tapok, and describes a variety, 

 Bengalica (introduced from Calcutta), with acuminate, undulate 

 leaves. In the preface to Eumphia ii. (1836), he states that the 

 Java tree is capable of yielding caoutchouc — D. Brandis. 



According to Mr. Gustav Mann's map, which I have embodied in mine, 

 we find he has fixed the geographical range of the Ficus elastica 

 in Assam between 25° 40' and 28° 15' North lat., and 88° 10' 

 and 97° East long., while in Burma Proper I found it extend to 

 25° 10', and according to report it reaches to the junction of the 

 Chindwin and Ooree rivers, lat. 24° 45'. But it is not known on 

 the east bank of the Irrawaddy, if any reliance can be placed in 

 the information elicited from the mountaineers and Burmese 

 officials. 

 Properties. — The plants of this order supply, in many instances, 

 edible fruits ; their milky juice often abounds in caoutchouc, and 

 • in some instances is bland and nutritious, while their inner bark 



supplies fibres. Bitter, tonic, as well as acrid and poisonous 

 properties are found in the order. — Balfour p. 892. 



349. Before proceeding to describe the different methods fol- 

 lowed in Burma Proper for the collection and manufacture of caout- 

 chouc, I propose to devote a few lines to the early history of this 

 branch of industry — information that has been culled either from 

 works of science or trade reports. Caoutchouc, I believe, is a French 

 word, derived from the local name of the milky juice extracted from 

 the Sephonia elastica, which was discovered by a French botanist in 

 the last century. Now the word is more generally applied, and 

 refers to the inspissated milk of all gum-elastic yielding plants. It 

 was only in 1736 that the fact of caoutchouc being a bond fide vege- 

 table product was set at rest by a reference to the French Govern- 

 ment, and for years subsequent it continued to be a mere cabinet 

 curiosity. The earliest mention of its utility is found in the pre- 

 face of a work published in 1770 by the Rev. Joseph Priestly, L.LD., 

 wherein he writes : " Since this work was printed off, I have seen 

 a substance excellently adapted to the purpose of wiping from 



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