196 TIMBER 



stacked. It is imported into Great Britain in the shape of 

 planks, and is probably, as a rule, the same timber which 

 goes by the name of Java teak, and of which there are 

 extensive plantations in the island. 



Weight with 1'2 per cent, of moisture 41 Ibs. per cubic 

 foot and 37 Ibs. when perfectly dry. 



Billian or Ironwood (Ensideroxylon zirac/eri), a very hard, 

 heavy brown coloured timber suitable for shipbuilding and 

 piling, comes from North Borneo. It is not to be obtained 

 in large quantities or in long lengths ; the largest sizes run 

 from 25 to 45 ft. long and about 10 inches by 10 inches 

 square, and it is obtainable also in the round. It is one of 

 the few timbers which are practically impervious to the 

 teredo. A log of this timber was bolted to the jetty at 

 Port Darwin or Palmerston, on the northern coast of the 

 colony of South Australia, by Mr. J. W. James, M.I.C.E., on 

 2nd November, 1886, and it remained intact until examined 

 in December, 1889, when no trace of the teredo could be 

 found in it, and this of several timbers tried was the only 

 one which withstood the teredo, and that in a locality 

 where it is so particularly voracious that the piling of the 

 jetty, which was of Karri timber, bad to be encased with 

 Muntz metal. Billian was afterwards used to replace Karri 

 for chafing pieces between high and low water on this same 

 jetty. Billian was not proof against attack by white ants, 

 but was not materially damaged in twelve months, and 

 hereabouts the white ant is as destructive as in any part of 

 the world. There are two varieties of this timber, Billian 

 Chingy and Billian Wangy. The latter, which is much the 

 best, is of a brown colour, and has a structure not unlike 

 greenheart. A small quantity of Billian comes into the 

 English market. 



Weight about 70 Ibs. per cubic foot. 



