THE WOODS OF BRITISH BURMAH. 321 



tributions of shark's fins, bird's nests, trepang, agar-agar, &c, some potted 

 fish. gnajzue, dried mushrooms from China, dried fungi, and other delicacies. 

 It was not our intention to note anything of mineral or animal products, 

 or articles of manufacture of any kind, hut simply to point out amongst 

 the raw products of the vegetable kingdom such as by their novelty or 

 interest deserved attention, but even in this limited field we do not find it 

 so easy to execute our desire, and on the day that this passes into our 

 readers' hands they will be enabled to judge for themselves whether our 

 Indian possessions do not deserve to be considered as the most brilliant 

 jewel in the British crown. 



THE WOODS OF BRITISH BURMAH 



BY D. BRANDIS. 



The following is a descriptive list of the Burmese woods sent home to 

 the International Exhibition by the Superintendent of Forests in the Pegu, 

 Tenasserim, and Martaban Provinces. The particulars given are the 

 systematic name. The Burmese name. The weight of one cubic foot in 

 lbs. The average size of full-grown trees on good soil. The girth 

 measured at six feet from the ground. The length of trunk is to the first 

 branch. The j>rice is the rate per cubic foot. The figures marked " Br. 

 weight," denote the weight required to break a piece 4 ft. long, 1 inch square, 

 laid on supports 36 inches apart. These results were obtained by a few 

 preliminary experiments. 



1. Dillenia aurea, Sm. Zimbjoon. "Weight, 48 ; girth, 9 ; length, 20 ; 

 price Is. 6d. Abundant in the plains and on the hills ; wood occasionally 

 used in house-building, but mostly for firewood. Br. weight, 198 lbs* 



2. Dillenia pentagyna, Roxb. Bjooben. "Weight, 69; girth, 6 ; length, 

 20. Abundant in the Eng Forest (Forest of Dipterocarpus grandiflora) ; 

 wood hard and strong, used for rice-mills. 



3. Dillenia speciosa, Thunb. Thabyoo. Weight, 41 ; girth, 5 ; length, 

 15. On the banks of the mountain streams. Wood nob used. 



4. Meliusa Velutina, Hf. and Th. Thabootkyee. Weight, 42 ; girth, 

 5 ; length, 15. All over the plains ; wood used for the poles of carts and 

 harrows, yokes, spearshafts, oars, &c. &c. 



5. Bombax malabaricum, D. C. Lepan. Weight, 28 ; girth, 15 ; 

 length, 60. The cotton tree. Abundant in the plains ; wood light and 

 loose grained, used for coffins. The Cotton used for stuffing pillows. 



6. Sterculia foetida, L. Let-Khop. Weight, 33 ; girth, 10 ; length, 50. 

 Common in the plains and on the hills ; wood not used. 



7. Heritiera, sp. Pinlay Kanazoe. Weight, 66 ; girth, 6 ; length, 30. 

 Common in the Delta of the Irrawaddy ; wood used for house-posts and 

 rafters, and for firewood for the manufacture of salt. The tree is nearly 

 related to the " Soondra " of Bengal. 



VOL. ii. z 



