BAMBOO — TABASHEER. 155 



its utmost development in regard to size. Accustomed to 

 behold them in cold and temperate regions, forming the ver- 

 dant carpet that stretches far and wide over our hilly pas- 

 tures and fertile meadows, or at most contemplating our 

 fields of waving com, or the reeds which fringe the borders 

 ef our streams, we can hardly imagine individuals of the 

 same family emulating the stature of the trees of the forest, 

 and constituting an equally imposing feature in the pano- 

 r-ama of a living landscape. Such, however, is the bamboo 

 (Bambusa), whose name is derived, as we are informed by 

 Dr. Wallich, from the Hindoo word veangsa, pronounced 

 hiyigsa, signifying a family or tribe, — for the bamboo grows 

 many together, or in an associated manner. The bamboo 

 is applied to a great variety of purposes, and no p' mt is 

 more useful where a union of strensth and lishtnesy is re- 

 quired. In building it is so generally employed, that the 

 houses of the inferior classes in India are almost exclusively 

 constructed of it. It is adapted to the formation of bridges, 

 masts for boats, and almost every article of domestic furni- 

 ture. Bedding and sacking, and even cordage, are manu- 

 factured from it. It is the common fence for gardens and 

 fields, and palanquins and light carriages are principally 

 composed of it. The hollow stems serve for water-pipes, 

 and in military operations it has often been resorted to for 

 the construction of screens. Finally, according to Barrow, 

 the Chinese find the bamboo invaluable for keeping the 

 whole empire in due subordination, through the medium of 

 iucessant bastinading. We shall now proceed to notice 

 briefly the difierent kinds of bamboo that are most valued 

 for their useful properties. The most common one is the 

 Bamhusa arundinacca : — this produces from ten to one hun- 

 dred stems from the same root, and after continuing straight 

 for fifteen or twenty feet begins to bend gently to one side. 

 It bears innumerable branches, the joints of which are fur- 

 nished with double or triple thorns. It is in the cavities of 

 the joints of this species in particular that the curious sub- 

 stance called tahashcer is found, though it is not improbable 

 that it may exist in most of the others likewise. This sub- 

 stance is named redroo paloo (milk of bamboo) by the Telin- 

 gas, and mungil upoo (salt of bamboo) by the Tamuls. Me- 

 dicinal virtues are attributed to it, and it is mentioned in the 

 Sanscrit works on medicine, such as the Bkava Prakas and 



