130 TIMBEK 



is considered the best wood in the colony. It is very 

 dense though coarse of grain, and feels cold to the touch 

 like greenheart and boxwood. The heartwood is dark 

 green shading to brown and is sharply denned from the 

 reddish brown sapwood, which is generally about an inch wide. 

 Weight about 57 Ibs. per cubic foot. 



Ducalliballi, a hard timber of a beautiful reddish brown 

 colour and capable of taking a fine polish, has been used as 

 a furniture and ornamental wood in the colony for many 

 years. The medullary rays are very close, and the pores, 

 as in most of the hard timbers of this part of the world, 

 large and conspicuous. The author a short time ago came 

 across a hewn log about 30 ft. long and 12 inches square 

 in the London Docks which had come over with greenheart, 

 but he cannot find that it is used in Great Britain, and 

 indeed it is but little known. The botanical species is not 

 defined. 



Letterwood or Snakewood (Brosimum aubletii) is found in 

 some of the West India Islands, but chiefly in Guiana, where 

 the vernacular name is si-to-oh-balli or bourra-courra. It 

 is exported in short lengths 4 or 5 inches in diameter. The 

 heartwood, which is the only part used, is of a nut brown 

 colour spotted with black, very hard and heavy, one of 

 the most beautiful of woods. Chiefly used for small 

 ornamental turnery, cabinet inlaying, walking-sticks, 

 Indian bows, etc., it often sells at about eightpence per 

 pound. The amount of sapwood is considerable, it is 

 fairly hard, of the same colour as box, and might be used 

 for the same purposes. This tree is closely allied to the 

 breadfruit tree and is becoming scarce. 



Weight about 77 to 83 Ibs. per cubic foot. 



Lignum Vitae (Guaiacum officinale) or guaiacum wood. 

 The chief supply comes from the West India Islands, 



