HARDWOOD TIMBERS FROM ASIATIC SOURCES 91 
Teak.—This valuable wood not only ranks as the 
most important among the many varieties of fine woods 
that are grown in India and Siam, but stands, in the 
estimation of consumers, in a premier position in regard 
to its use as a material for constructional purposes. 
It is so classed at Lloyd’s, being placed in the list of 
shipbuilding timbers in a position alone, and above oak 
and every other wood. 
It was a timber held in high estimation in India in 
the days of the old East India Company, and its good 
qualities were gradually brought to the notice of the 
naval authorities in England, by whom it was first 
used about a century ago. By degrees its qualifications 
as a wood for construction began to be appreciated in 
other directions, and upon the growth of the railway 
system and, later, of tramway means of locomotion, in 
this and other countries, it was found to be a material 
of admirable description for the construction of the 
vehicles used. It also found favour among architects, 
and large quantities, in the aggregate, are at the present 
time consumed by the building industries. The con- 
sumption has also greatly expanded since its introduc- 
tion in Asiatic markets nearer to its source of extraction, 
the bulk of the output of India being shipped to’ other 
centres in the same country, and to markets in China 
-and Japan. 
The wood shipped from India is practically all obtained 
from forests in Burma, and from the ports of Moulmein 
supplies were first distributed. Later, Rangoon in 
the same State came to the front and eclipsed, in the 
amount of timber she exported, the older port. After- 
wards supplies of the same description of wood were 
exported from the neighbouring kingdom of Siam, and, 
although at first the wood was held in less esteem than 
the older varieties, gradually established itself in favour, 
