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the ground, however, becomes black, and mixed with extraneous matter. These icicles (as they may 

 be called) are sometimes as much as a palm in breadth and a foot in length, and exhibit an elegant, 

 striated appearance. For the first half year, the resin retains its white colour and transparency, but 

 afterwards assumes a beautiful amber colour. It is brittle, and when broken shines like glass. It is 

 much harder than the sort known by the name of Dammara Selanica, and in some degree admits of 

 being bent, but when pounded it is friable. The product of the male trees is more white and pellucid, 

 but dries more slowly and exudes in a smaller quantity, whence little or none Is collected from them. 

 To force a supply of this substance, it is usual to make incisions in the lower part of the trunk with 

 sharp knives. This occasions the formation of large knots in the wounded places, which protrude like 

 heads, as in the maple, are covered with dammar, and put forth a number of branches. The peasants 

 clear away the rubbish around the feet of the trees, and dig holes, in order to collect the dammar free 

 from impurities ; where the roots rise bare out of the ground, however, they are made knotty by Incisions, 

 and yield resin like other wounded parts of the tree, becoming covered with a sort of white bark. The 

 smell of fresh and soft dammar is perfectly resinous, but when dry this substance does not emit any 

 particular odour; thrown on burning coals, it gives out a smell partaking of turpentine and mastich, as 

 does also the taste, though the latter is somewhat like the Canarium. It is very inflammable, and burns 

 longer than the T>ammar Selan, but without any crackling, though It emits a great quantity of acidulous 

 smoke, which produces a very unpleasant effect on those who are unaccustomed to It. As the common 

 dammar, sold in the market, is white and semi transparent, as well as that collected from the knots of the 

 lower part of the trunk, so is the latter changeable in its colour, varying from a reddish to a horn, and 

 even to a black appearance; it Is, nevertheless, hard and pellucid, like the great masses and heads which 

 hang from the thicker branches and oldest trees, for, as these cannot on account of their height be 

 ascended, the masses hang on them the longer, and lose their original whiteness and become of a horny 

 colour. This circumstance is particularly remarkable on the dammar trees about Way, whence I am 

 led to believe that the variations of colour proceed from the difference of the time of year, or from 

 the interval that the masses remain in their native situations. In the year 1688, I sent a piece of 

 dammar to the University of Leyden, which In its form resembled the head of an infant, and by 

 artificial means had been made to assume something like features, but the nose was very ugly, and there 

 were red marks near it, resembling streaks of blood. I have- also in my own possession a large white 

 semitransparent mass, which resembles an immense ox's gall bladder. Some of the crystalline branches 

 sent Into Holland did not retain their colour, but became, there, of a sort of amber hue. 



The Malay name of Dammar Futi, and Dammar Battt, signifies stone resin, for it is the hardest of 

 all the Dammars, and approaches very near to the Giim Aniiii^e. Among the Tcrnaats It is called only 

 Salo, or Salo Bobiida; in Ambolna Carnal Camar, and Cama\ about Larlqua Isse; and about Grisccca, 

 In Java, Dama. 



The medicinal uses of this resinous substance have not yet been discovered. Some of the people of 

 Amboina, however, (but I own I would not, myself, be of the number) whose feet have been wounded 

 with thorns, or splinters of wood, have no sooner extracted the latter than they have dropped into the 

 punctured parts a drop or two of burning dammar, which has prevented the formation of an ulcer, 

 and scarcely created any pain in the callous, hard soles of the Indians, This species of Dammar Is not 

 easily liquefied, except by means of an admixture of Calapp oil, or common pitch. It Is not found, 

 however, to adhere well to the keels of ships, but is apt to fall off, and therefore does not answer the 

 purpose of pitching; yet It deserves further trial, especially In a country where the want of pitch Is 

 attended with so much danger to navigation: other resins, Indeed, will in some measure supply its 

 place. To persons who write much (as clerks and secretaries) the dammar is of some use, for if they 

 have occasion to scrape out a letter or a word, and will afterwards sprinkle a little of the powder on the 



r 



place from which the erasure has been made, the paper is rendered smooth and susceptible of being 

 again written on ; but the letters soon become faint. 



The Dammara Radja (called by the Ternaats Salo Colano) is the same fesin as that above described. 



