FANCY WOODS. 181 



supposed similarity of their colours to those of the 

 aniuials whose deuomiiiations they bear. 



A returu of the Custom-house duties for 18:27, 

 ordered by the House of Conunons to be printed, on 

 the 16th of April, 1829, jvives some data for ascer- 

 taininij,- the quantities of ornamental wood imported 

 into the United Kino-dom during- 1827. In some 

 instances, however, the quantity camiot be ascer- 

 tained from the return, as the duty is ditferent when 

 the import is from different places. 



Mahogany. The duty on mahogany is stated at 

 68,730/., being at the rate of 2/. 10s. from Honduras 

 and the Bahamas ; 41. from Jamaica ; and 71. from 

 other places. Now, taking the average duty at 4/., 

 which is not very far from the truth, that makes the 

 whole quantity of mahogany imported in 1827 amount 

 to about seventeen thousand tons, or as much as 

 would load fifteen line of battle ships. 



Rosewood is subjected to a duty of 10/. per ton ; 

 and the duty upon it was 7280/. for 1827, which 

 makes the quantity seven hundred and twenty-eight 

 tons, — trifling as compared with the quantity of maho- 

 gany, but still very considerable. 



Zebra is classed with king wood, and some of the 

 other ornamental kinds that come from Brazil, though 

 the duties be different, 2/. per ton on the Zebra, and 

 5/. on the others. The duty on these woods is 630/., 

 and, taking the average, the quantity may be about 

 two hundred tons. 



Box pays a duty of 1/. from British plantations, 

 and 5/. from other places. The duty for 1827 was 

 2180/., and the quantity about eight hundred tons. 



Ebony. — The quantity of ebony cannot be ascer- 

 tained, or even approximated from the return, as the 

 duty upon what is called ebony, varies from 3/. to 

 10/. per ton; the total duty was about 170/. 



