8 'mLL ON CONSTRUCTIONAL WOODS OF BRITISH GUIANA. [Selected 



Papers. 



planes fast and well, but is too hard for ordinary wood-turning 

 tools, and takes a fine polish. It makes handsome furniture and 

 is a splendid wood for house framing, engine and mill beds, etc., 

 being capable of resisting great shocks. It would probably prove 

 an excellent material for street paving, perhaps even better than 

 bullet tree or mora, but it is not so plentiful as the latter. It can 

 be obtained in long lengths 1 foot 6 inches to 2 feet 6 inches square. 

 The bark of the purple heart is a favourite material in the 

 construction of the Indian wood-skin canoes, some of which are of 

 considerable size, accommodating fifteen or sixteen persons. The 

 Indians also make " corials," or dug-out canoes, from this tree. 



HOUBOOBALLI (Mimosa guiancnsis), Specific Gravity 0'S95. The 

 wood is of a light-brftwn colour, variegated with vertical veins 

 of black and brown which are very effective ; it is a wood of great 

 beauty and makes handsome furniture. The tree grows plenti- 

 fully in the Essequebo forest district. This wood is very durable 

 under water, and on the bottom of a punt or boat will outlast any 

 other. It saws easily and well, planes fairly fast, turns unusually 

 well by hand, and takes an excellent polish, and is altogether a 

 satisfactory material to deal with. It can be had in logs up to 

 50 feet in length and 1 foot 8 inches square. 



For many of the foregoing particulars the Author is indebted to 

 Mr. Michael McTurk, C.M.G., and Mr. Herbert Stone, F.L.S., the 

 latter of whom recently conducted a series of technical tests of 

 specimen logs of British Guiana timbers at the Imperial Institute. 

 It may be added that there are numerous other useful and orna- 

 mental hard woods of British Guiana that might have been 

 included ; but the Author in making the foregoing selection 

 sought to deal only with such timbers as might be considered of 

 commercial importance and obtainable in quantity. A large col- 

 lection of polished specimens of the woods of British Guiana is to 

 be seen at the Imperial Institute. 



The attention of railway and municipal engineers might be use- 

 fully directed to the suitability of the timbers of British Guiana 

 for railway sleepers, wood paving and other engineering purposes, 

 as they can be supplied from the Colony in large quantities and at 

 reasonable prices. 



The Paper was accompanied by a case of specimens of the 

 timbers described, but space did not permit of its being retained 

 at the Institution. 



JOXl.ONi: I'KINTKD HY -WILLIAM riOWKS ANP PONS, MW1TKI), M K i 



AND CKI-:AT WISI-MIM. STRKKT, \v. 



