3l6 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO J 758. 



arising from the age of the canella, the part of the tree from which it is gathered, 

 and from the manner of cultivating and curing it. 



In the Philosoph. Transact. N" 278, in Mr. Strachan's account of Ceylon, 

 he says, that there are 2 sorts of cinnamon-trees, of which the tree which is 

 esteemed the best has a leaf much larger and thicker than the other'; but other- 

 wise no difference is to be perceived. And in an account given some years ago to 

 the Royal Society, 3 or 4 sorts were mentioned ; and it was said the best sort 

 was cut every 3 or 4 years. 



This superiority Mr. W. then guessed to arise from the cutting the tree down 

 every 3 or 4 years, which occasioned it to produce strong and vigorous shoots, 

 thicker and larger leaves, as well as a greater quantity of bark, and of a superior 

 quality. A large shoot or sucker of this plant was produced in the year 1750, 

 or 51, by Dr. Watson, together with an account of the cinnamon-tree; which 

 is published in the Philosop. Transact, vol. xlvii. p. 301. This shoot was a plain 

 proof that the cinnamon was frequently cut down, and that this shoot arose 

 from the root of a plant so cut ; for it was of the size of a walking-cane ; and 

 no shrub could have produced such a shoot, unless a strong plant cut down. 



The specimens which Mr. W. now produced, of the canella or bark of the 

 cinnamon of Sumatra, he procured in the year 1755, from Mr. Tho. Combes, 

 a gentleman then in the service of the East India Company in Sumatra, by means 

 of a friend : and an abstract of Mr. Combes's letter on the occasion, is as 

 follows : 



I am of opinion, says Mr. C. that the true cinnamon grows no where but on 

 the island of Ceylon, unless cassia be allowed to be the same tree, which I am 

 inclined to think. N*^ g contains seeds of the cassia or wild cinnamon tree. 

 As for the eeds of the true cinnamon-tree, I believe they are very difficult to be 

 got ; for as the Dutch are the sole masters of this spice, and get a good deal of 

 money by it, they have very well guarded against the transplantation of it. 

 I hope however that these seeds will not be unacceptable to you, as cassia itself 

 is of some value ; and as I am very doubtful whether this tree is not the same 

 with the true cinnamon, being of opinion that the difference observed in them 

 arises from the different method of curing their barks, or from the taking the 

 bark from different parts of the tree, or at different seasons, or of different 

 ages, or perhaps all these. 



I have made inquiry concerning this from some very intelligent persons, and 

 found them to be of opinion that the cassia and cinnamon tree were of the same 

 genus. I have inquired further concerning the method of curing it at Ceylon ; 

 but as this is done by the natives, the Dutch are not very well acquainted with 

 it ; nor could I obtain any good account of it, different people giving me dif- 

 ferent relations. Some said it was the inner bark, some the middle, and some 

 the outer ; though of the young branches, they seemed in general to agree, that 



