OF SUMATRA. 5 



juice of the tobacco. Sumatra affords annually from 

 fifteen to twenty peculs (of 133} pounds each) of cam- 

 phor, and more oil than there is at present a demand 

 for. The Chinese purchase it ; and it is not clearly- 

 ascertained whether they use it all in China, or make 

 a factitious species of it_, by admixture of Japanese 

 camphor, for the Europe market : the latter is ge- 

 nerally supposed. It is highly probable, that the 

 price of camphor will, in process of time, rise to an 

 enormous degree, as one tree in three hundred is not 

 found to contain camphor, and, when found, is im- 

 mediately cut down ; in consequence of which, the 

 plant must soon become scarce, and the produce pro- 

 portionably dear. It is to be hoped that the oil will, 

 in this event, be found by the faculty to possess all the 

 useful qualities of this valuable medicine. I have the 

 satisfaction of accompanying this paper with a speci- 

 men, though a small one, of the camphor-wood, with 

 a small quantity of the substance in it, the rest having 

 evaporated from length of time. If this account 

 should afford any information to the President and 

 Members of the Asiatic Society, my intention will be 

 fully answered. 



B c; ON 



j 



