250 BRAZIL-WOOD, ARCHIL. 



thousand tons ; and of the roots, more than four thousand. The 

 value of these would be together about 600,000^. 



393. Another valuable Red dye, is obtained from the wood 

 of the Ccesalpinia crista,* commonly known as Brazil wood. 

 Though abundant in that part of South America, the tree is a 

 native of other parts of the world ; and it was known under its 

 present common name, before the discovery of that country. 

 And, in fact, the portion of that continent which bears the name 

 of Brazil, was so named in consequence of the numbers of these 

 trees, which were found growing there. As in the case of Log- 

 wood, it is only the duramen (. 131 ) of this tree, which is of 

 any service ; the remainder being colourless. The colour ob- 

 tained from this wood is brilliant ; but it is not so permanent as 

 that of many other substances. It is generally used to heighten 

 the effect of other dyes. Red ink is commonly made, by boiling 

 this wood in beer, wine, or vinegar, to which alum has been 

 added. Of late years the consumption of this wood in Britain 

 has much diminished ; whilst that of another kind, termed 

 Peach-wood, or Nicaragua- wood (so named from the Gulf of 

 Nicaragua, whence it was first imported into England), has 

 greatly increased, so as to be now nearly double the first. The 

 colour obtained from it is brighter, and more delicate, than that 

 yielded by Brazil-wood. 



394. Another red dye, now largely employed in England, is 

 obtained from a Lichen, commonly termed Orchilla., which 

 abounds in the Canary and Cape de Verd Islands, and which is 

 sometimes found (though of inferior quality) on the rocks of 

 Guernsey and the Isle of Portland. The plant is usually im- 

 ported without any preparation ; it is afterwards dried and 

 reduced to powder, and then submitted to some chemical pro- 

 cesses, which produce from it the beautiful liquid dye, known as 

 Archil. It is seldom used by itself, as its colour is not perma- 

 nent ; but it is chiefly employed to give a brightness to the 



* An allied species of this tree, the C. pluviosa, also a native of Brazil, is re- 

 markable for a constant flow of water from the points of its leaves, which falls 

 ijo\vn in drops, like a shower of rain. ' 



