XXIII.] 



JARRAH. 



235 



pore dockyard. These trials, I regret to say, were not 

 favourable to the character of the wood, and the result 

 was that no further supply was ordered. 



" When last at Calcutta I obtained the sanction of 

 the Government of Bengal to further tests of the wood, 

 the greater portion of the Salween's cargo being then 

 still in store, but I am sorry to say that the result was 

 not more favourable than before." 



The clerk of works at Freemantle reporting summarily 

 upon the opinions expressed by the ship-builders and 

 others, says : 



" The sound timber resists the attack of the ' teredo 

 navalis ' and ' white ant.' On analysis by Professor 

 Abel, it was found to contain a pungent acid that was 

 destructive to life. The principle, however, was not 

 found to be present in the unsound portions. Great 

 care is therefore necessary in preparing the wood for 

 use by flitching the log so as to cut all the defective 

 portions of the heart out, and using only the perfectly 

 sound timber. Fig. 25 will 

 show the mode of flitching, so 

 as to retain the sound wood in 

 any required size for all prac- 

 tical purposes, A B c D E F being 

 flitches. Very much has been 

 said about Jarrah being subject 

 to split when exported to India 

 or England in log. It must be 

 borne in mind that its density 

 renders seasoning very slow, and that the inner portions 

 of the larger trees are in a state of decay even while 

 the outer portions are in full vigour. A tree under 

 these conditions, the inner portions comparatively dry, 

 and the outer full of sap, shipped at once to a hot 



FIG. 25. 



