THE MAHOGANY-TREE, 195 
done; and the fine color, polish, etc., were so pleasing 
that he invited all his friends to come and see it. Among 
them was the Duchess of Buckingham, who begged 
some of the wood of Dr. Gibbons, and employed Wollas- 
ton to make a similar bureau.” From this introduction 
it came into general use throughout the civilized world. 
The wood of the mahogany-tree is of various degrees 
of shade, though its most common color is a reddish and 
yellowish brown, often mottled and veined with darker 
hues; there are also several special varieties much ad- 
mired for their beauty and variety of coloring. The 
wood of the branches is closer grained, more rich and 
variegated, and therefore more adapted for ornamental 
purposes, than that of the trunk, which is considered 
more valuable. The texture, however, varies according 
to the soil and situation upon which it is grown: that 
which grows upon rocky ground or elevated places being 
heavy, close-grained, of small dimensions, and variously 
tinted; while the light and porous descriptions are pro- 
duced upon low-lying and rich soil. It is a very strong 
and durable wood when kept dry, and was formerly used 
in ship-building, for which purpose its strength and solid- 
ity well fitted it. It is at present most generally used 
in cabinet-making, for which purpose it is universally 
admired. 
Of the exported wood from Central America there 
are some logs of immense size and value on record. The 
largest measured seventeen feet in length, fifty-seven 
inches in breadth, and sixty-four inches in depth. Another 
log of seven tons realized on sale in England a rate of 
£210 per ton; from this we may imagine the extraordi- 
nary value of this wood. The trunk of the tree, from 
its size, is deemed the most valuable portion, and on being 
felled is subjected to a test to ascertain its soundness. 
The usual method resorted to in this test is that by 
which the unimpeded transmission of sound becomes dis- 
cernible (or otherwise) throughout the log. In the case 
