FANCY WOODS. 181 



^^ 



supposed similarity of their colours to those of the 

 animals whose denominations they bear. 



A return of the Custpm-house duties for 1827, 

 ordered by the House of Commons to be printed, on 

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

 taining the quantities of ornamental wood imported 

 into the. United Kingdom during 1827. In some 

 instances, however, the quantity cannot be ascer- 

 tained from the return, as the duty is different 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 101. per ton; 

 and the duty upon it was 7280J. 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 

 51. 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 1. from British plantations, 

 and 51. 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 31. to 

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



VOL. n. 16 



