APPENDICES. 399 



Messrs. Gr. N. Souratty and Co., 38, Fenchurch Street, 

 report as follows : " The one, the darker of the two 

 wrapped in a leaf, appears to be a species of Gum Elemi, 

 but from so small a sample it is almost impossible to judge 

 of its quality or properties. Gum Elemi is imported from 

 Manila in a softish viscid mass of strong pine flavour, white 

 and yellowish in colour, and the value is now about 40s. 

 per cwt. ; consumption is not large. Your sample is very 

 dark in colour, has somewhat the flavour of Elemi, but is 

 much harder than that gum usually is." 



The following were received from T. Watson, Esq., East 

 African Scottish Mission, Kibwezi, January G, 1894, and 

 were reported on by Mr. T. Christy : — 



" Gum Mastic. — Called Mkuyuni or Kurpim, ' a very 

 common tree.' The juice of this tree if not allowed to 

 congeal, and if then mixed with spirit, makes a delicious 

 beverage. This sample is very dirty, but even in this state 

 it is worth 2 Jd. to 3d. per lb. ; if sorted and cleaned, much 

 more. This is made from a species of tig. 



" Gutta or Euphorbia Gam. — No. 1. — This sample is 

 clean and has been well preserved. It shows good elastic 

 properties. 



" Nos. 2 and 3. — Two samples in tins are very fermented ; 

 difficult to report on. 



"No. 4. — No. 4 tin looks like almadina, which comes here 

 from Portugal and sells at 2d. to 3d. per lb. It greatly im- 

 proves rubber and gutta when mixed with it. It is some- 

 times called ' Potato gum.' " 



Of course, if this Euphorbia gum is really of any 

 commercial value, it opens up very large commercial 

 possibilities. The tree from which it is produced is 

 extremely common throughout the whole of the thorn- tree 

 desert as far as Kibwezi, and even Nzowi. I hear, however, 

 from Mr. Jackson, at Kew, that these Euphorbia gums fre- 

 quently contain a very large amount of resin, which makes 

 them extremely brittle. The one imported to Liverpool is 

 derived from a Morocco species, and appears to be chiefly 

 used for adulteration. 



