Rods and Rod Material. 183 



elusion was forced upon me that in this material no suc- 

 cessful rival of first-class split-bamboo was to be found. 

 That it is the equal of good greenheart in every respect 

 except slightly greater weight, possibly with some slight 

 advantage in strength, was the opinion formed, and it is 

 believed to be just. 



Beyond that bethabara is a native of a hot climate, and 

 grows from three to three and a half feet in diameter 

 and twenty feet to the first branch, I have been able to 

 acquire no certain information of its origin or growth. 

 It is supposed to be, like greenheart, a native of British 

 Guiana, and there known as Wasahba, "bethabara" be- 

 ing a " fancy " name. 



Some think it a variety of greenheart, but he who has 

 worked the two woods will hesitate to accept this opinion. 

 It resembles greenheart in color, but still with a differ- 

 ence easily seen on close inspection, though difficult to 

 describe. It is denser in grain, more bony in texture, 

 and requires a sharper tool to work it. It has the pe- 

 culiarity of depositing a gummy substance on the edge 

 of the plane blade, producing the effect of dulness, which 

 must at short intervals be removed on the oil-stone be- 

 fore the plane will resume its cut. When under the 

 plane a yellow powder, closely resembling pulverized 

 gamboge in appearance, is profusely deposited on the 

 bench and tools, as well as on the hands and person of the 

 worker. This instantly turns a strong salmon color in 

 contact with soap and water, due doubtless to the action 

 of the alkali in the former. Its shavings have nothing 

 of the crumbling character of those of greenheart, from 

 which all the foregoing marked peculiarities distinguish it. 



Though amenable to the plane, turning- tool, file, and 

 scraper, it must be considered difficult and disagreeable 



