CHAPTER XX. 

 THE TEAK TREE (Tectona grandis). 



THIS tree is found principally in India; and from the 

 southern limits of its range in Java it is distributed over 

 about 2,000 miles, until it touches close upon the 23 

 of North latitude. Its range in longitude is also very 

 considerable, since it is found to stretch across Hindustan, 

 and through Burmah to near the frontier of China. It 

 was formerly very plentiful in the Malabar district, but 

 is now only sparingly met with there. At Bombay, 

 where a few years since it was supplied in sufficient 

 quantities from the adjacent province to meet all the 

 demands for ship-building and other purposes, builders 

 have now, owing to its almost complete exhaustion, to 

 draw upon other sources to meet the local requirements. 

 The most extensive, and probably the best, forests 

 of Teak at present existing are in Burmah, where they 

 lie spread along the banks of the Salween, Thongyeen, 

 Irrawaddy, and other rivers. They also stretch very 

 far inland to the countries occupied by the Shans, the 

 Karens, and the Chinese. Other forests stretch con- 

 siderably to the north, and there, upon some of the 

 undulating and mountainous districts, it becomes 

 dwarfed to a rather insignificant tree. Teak is also 



