CHAPTER V 



TIMBERS OF SOUTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA, AND WEST 

 INDIA ISLANDS 



BRITISH GUIANA. 



Greenheart Mora Bullet Tree Towaronero Wallaba Purple- 

 heart Houbooballi Crabwood Suradanni Cirouaballi 

 Simarupa Cedar Locust Kakaralli Waibaima Ducalliballi 

 Letterwood Lignum Vitse Hackia Souari-pikea. 



Greenheart (Nectandra rodiei), which is so highly prized 

 for all classes of submerged work, such as timber wharves, 

 piers, dock gates, etc., and for heavy constructional work, 

 comes from British Guiana. It is generally known as Dema- 

 rara greenheart. It grows in belts, and a large quantity 

 of small timber has to be cut in order to obtain large-sized 

 logs. It is imported chiefly in hewn logs ; some may be got 

 16 inches a side in the centre and 65 ft. long, and 

 occasionally larger, but it is not nearly so easy now as 

 formerly to obtain timber of this size, as it is necessary to 

 seek it much further in the forests, where communication is 

 difficult and the ways of getting very primitive. In a cargo 

 inspected a short time ago of between 300 and 400 logs, the 

 author could not get an average of 14 inches square for about 

 120 logs which he required from 45 up to 65 ft. long ; they 

 varied from about 11J up to 16 inches. The dimensions 

 given are at the centre of the log, as greenheart, being a 

 hewn timber, tapers a good deal ; there is often a good deal 

 of wane on the edges, and sometimes the logs are bent or 



