238 SPICES 



CHAP. VII 



cut off the bark as high as they can reach, according 

 to Dr. Schlechter, who made some inquiries for me 

 about this little known cassia bark ; it is not cultivated, 

 nor is the bark of the twigs or shoots taken. The tree 

 is at present very little known. Blume referred it to 

 the genus Cinnamomum, but Dr. Beccari, who saw 

 some poor scraps collected by D'Albertis in New 

 Guinea, affirmed that it was not of that genus, but 

 made a new genus for it under the name of Massoia. 

 No description of the plant has yet been published, 

 however ; massoi bark, or meswi bark, as it is called 

 in Singapore, is reported to be very rich in eugenol, 

 but at present is too expensive to be a source of this. 

 Though the plant is not yet in cultivation, I mention 

 it, as there are often inquiries about it. 



