Papers.] HILL ON CONSTRUCTIONAL WOODS OF* BRITISH ' 



resists the attacks of wood ants and other insects, but it will not 

 stand exposure to the weather. It is of a light yellow colour, 

 saws easily, planes well and takes a fair polish. It is cheap and 

 plentiful in the Colony, and can be had in logs up to 2 feet 

 square. It might be more extensively used in place of the white 

 pine lumber of the northern hemisphere. 



CEDAR (Idea altissima). Specific Gravity 0'560.A. reddish -brown 

 wood, most serviceable and valuable for cabinet-making and other 

 uses. It can be had in long lengths and up to 2 feet square ; 

 but it is not so plentiful as the variety known as white cedar, 

 which is very durable underground, for foundation timbers. 



LIGNUM 'VnAE(Guaicaum officinale), Specific Gravity 1"250. True 

 lignum vitae is not plentiful in British Guiana, and is often con- 

 founded with hackia (Siderodendron triflorum), which is equally 

 hard, close-grained and heavy, and grows abundantly in the Colony. 

 Both are used for the same purposes, such as cog-wheels, shafts, 

 and foot-steps for vertical shafting in centrifugal pumps, etc., and 

 both are practically indestructible. 



LOCUST (Hymencea Coiirbaril), Specific Gravity * 942. A streaked 

 brownish wood, close-grained, saws readily in any direction, 

 planes quickly and well and takes a fine polish. It is used for 

 furniture, mill and engine beds, trenails, etc. The Indians make 

 wood-skin canoes from the bark. This tree, which is abundant in 

 some parts of the river forests, yields the gum animi of commerce, 

 largely used in the manufacture of varnish. The gum is found 

 buried in large quantities where a tree is rotted away, many 

 barrels being often filled from one spot ; it may also be procured 

 in small quantities by tapping. Logs are obtained up to 1 foot 

 6 inches square. 



KAKARALLI (Lecytliis ottaria), Specific Gravity I'OIO. A light- 

 brown-coloured wood, close-grained and tough, saws with diffi- 

 culty, planes hard but well, turns satisfactorily, being firm and 

 fine-grained, and polishes extremely well. It is a most valuable 

 wood for submerged work, being even more durable than green- 

 heart, and resisting the barnacle and teredo worms ; it should be 

 more extensively used for constructing wharves, dock- gates and 

 sluices. Unfortunately it cannot be had in as large logs as green- 

 heart timber, these rarely exceeding 140 feet in length and 10 

 inches to 1 foot 2 inches square. 



PURPLE HEART (Copaifera bracteata), Specific Gravity 0'995. 

 This is one of the tallest forest trees of British Guiana. The 

 wood is of a purple colour on all cut and exposed surfaces, hard, 

 close-grained, durable, and very tough. It saws hard but cleanly, 



