1847.] Report on the Timber Trees of Bengal. 1099 



9. Rohunah or Rooah — Soymida (Swietenia) febrifuge/,, Roxb. 

 It is also called Kukhut Rohida in the Nagpore jungles. I am not 

 aware that this tree is found in Bengal, but it is very abundant in Nag- 

 pore, and also in southern India. I have had at Kamptee abundant 

 opportunities of trying the strength and value of the timber, and believe 

 it to be one of the best in India. It takes a high polish, and from its 

 fine red color is peculiarly adapted for furniture. There are specimens 

 in the collection of the Horticultural Society, of the wood sent from 

 the Jungle Mehals. 



10. Chickrassee or Chittagong wood — Chickrassia tabidaris, 

 C. I. This wood appears to be very abundant in Chittagong and in 

 southern India, but I am not aware that it is applied to any other pur- 

 pose than cabinet making, for which it is admirably adapted. Accord- 

 ing to Mr. Masters, this tree is known in Assam by the same native 

 name as the Toon, namely Toona. 



11. Billoo — Chloroxylon swietenia — The satin wood. It is ge- 

 nerally found in company with the Rohnnna. It is however much 

 rarer, but is deserving of greater attention than has been yet paid to it. 



12. Soondree — Heritiera minor. — This tree, which furnishes a 

 great portion of the firewood of Calcutta, belongs to the natural family 

 of Sterculiacece, in which almost all the woods are very perishable, and 

 indeed in one tree, the Adansonia, which far surpasses in size any that 

 we are acquainted with, the wood perishes into dust within 12 months 

 of the felling of the tree. However, the Soondree, from Capt. Baker's 

 experiment, appears to be the strongest and toughest wood he tested. 

 The mean of five experiments gave 1312 ibs. for breaking. The speci- 

 fic gravity is much the same as Sal, 1030. Soondree is very generally 

 used in Calcutta for buggy shafts, and is well adopted for all temporary 

 purposes where strength and elasticity are required. It is also used 

 for boats, boat masts, poles and spokes of wheels. I imagine the Soon- 

 derbunds derive their name from this tree. 



13. Sissoo — Dalbergia sissoo, Roxb. — This, with Balbergia lati- 

 folia, Sitsdl or Black wood ; and Dalbergia emarginata or Andaman 



Sissoo, all belonging to the same genus, composes a portion of the nat. 

 family Leguminosce, notorious for its timber trees, some of which in 

 America, according to Martius, attain the gigantic size of being at the 

 bottom 84 feet in circumference, and 60 feet where the tree becomes 



