7 i Sandal-Wood and its Commercial Importance. 



to men. Sandal- wood as a perfume was in high esteem 

 throughout tropical Asia, and for people with so limited con- 

 ceptions nothing was more natural than to suppose it accept- 

 able to supreme beings having passions identical with those 

 of the worshippers. Some of the most ancient records inform 

 us of the prominent part played by the wood in India; and 

 since the introduction of Buddhism into China, that country, 

 itself destitute of the trees producing it, has become the prin- 

 cipal market for this important production. The usual size 

 preferred in the Celestial empire is of a diameter of four to six 

 inches, and a length of three feet. A piece of these propor- 

 tions (eight or twelve of which generally weighing one picul= 

 133 lb.) is regarded as the most acceptable offering a person 

 can make to the idols of the temples. Large pieces are pre- 

 sented by the rich to burn on particular occasions. On certain 

 festivals, for instance the beginning of the New Year, small 

 pieces are abundantly sold in the streets to the lower classes. 

 This is the case especially, in the northern provinces of the 

 empire ; in Canton and other coast districts the population is 

 less superstitious, and consequently less inclined to invest in 

 sandal-wood. I visited a good many temples in Southern 

 China, and never noticed whole pieces of the wood, but thou- 

 sands of so-called " Joss-sticks," (pastile-like preparations, 

 made of the saw-dust of sandal-wood and the dung of swine, 

 stuck in pots of sand) burning slowly before the grave faces 

 of the idols. 



The perfume of the wood is owing to an essential oil, chiefly 

 situated in the heart of the tree and near the root, the outer 

 parts of old trunks and young trees being almost entirely with- 

 out scent ; hence, the sandal cutters carefully remove the 

 outer and generally lighter portion of the wood, which they 

 term the " sap." The oil is easily extracted, a pound of wood 

 yielding about two drachms, and it is wonderfully strong and 

 penetrating. Mixed with pure alcohol it forms the perfumer's 

 " Extrait do boifl de Santal," and in order to sweeten it for 

 handkerchief use a slight addition of rose is required. It mixes 

 well with si ni]). With charcoal and a little nitre it forms sandal 

 pastiles for perfuming apartments \ but these are indifferent in 

 odour. Finally, from mixing favourably Avith otto of rose, it is 

 often employed for adulterating that article. The seed of the 

 Santalinii album also yield by expression an oil, but that is 

 thick and viscid, only fit for burning, and employed in that way 

 by the poorer classes in India. 



Tin- chief European reputation of sandal rests upon its 

 being a most excellent Wood for carving. In the Indian col- 

 lection of the Great Exhibition of 1882 there were an infinite 

 variety of elaborately-worked card-cases, work-boxes, trays for 



