142 The Wood Oil Trees. [No. 110. 



former Nabab of the Carnatic) was like a seive— much of what was 

 poured in went through ; while a Hindoo was like a sponge which re- 

 tained all, but on pressure gave back, as required, what it had absorbed.' 

 And so at Kyok Phyoo. The Mahomedan sepoys to gratify their habits 

 of debauchery, borrow from their more thrifty Hindoo brethren who stint 

 themselves of the common necessaries of life to gratify their saving propen- 

 sities, and rather than purchase good sound, but expensive food pinch 

 themselves with half meals of the worst description. The Hindoo 

 sepoys of the 65th regiment brought away with them, I was assured by the 

 officers, on their return to Calcutta upwards of 40,000 rupees which they 

 had saved during their two years and half tour in the Province. 



Leaving this painful subject for others of a more pleasing kind, I hasten 

 to complete my observations regarding the site of the Cantonment of Kyok 

 Phyoo. The soil is almost entirely sand, but yet much vegetation till 

 recently abounded and even now the many lofty Dipterocarpi speak plainly 

 of the adaptability of the ground to produce rich and luxuriant growths. 

 These Dipterocarpi early attracted my attention. They are the trees, 

 whence that (to the London market at least) novel article of commerce, 

 known as the Gurjun or wood oil, is obtained. On examining into the 

 process by which this most valuable product is obtained, I found that 

 the practice was to cut a large notch something of the form of a rude arch 

 into one side of the tree near its root, a depth of three or four inches, 

 with the base sunk from the external edge inwardly to make it cup-like, 

 so as to hold the oil. A fire is then kindled in the aperture for a few 

 minutes, by which means, it appears, the sap vessels are stimulated, and 

 the oil once set an oozing flows gradually down, drop by drop, till 

 the cup-like hollow at the bottom of the notch becomes filled, when it 

 is dished up, and set aside for use ; successive supplies are for a long time 

 in this manner obtained. 



An abundance of these trees are to be seen in every direction 

 about Kyok Phyoo, and I am told are equally plentiful on the island 

 of Cheduba and elsewhere throughout the line of coast. While on 

 the subject of these trees I cannot omit mentioning a circumstance 

 connected with the produce from them, which although of somewhat 

 a private nature, is yet of sufficient peculiarity to merit recital. More than 

 two years ago, when in correspondence with Dr. Royle, I procured eight 

 jarge casks full of the wood oil and shipped it for London to be sold in 

 the London market and its value fairly tested. I knew that the Portu- 

 guese in the days of their early career in India had all dealt largely in 

 the article, for Bolt in his ' Considerations of India/ particularly alludes 



