50 ON THE HARD WOODS OF COMMERCE. 



Angica, Barwood or Camwood, Bully tree, Botany Bay oak, Box- 

 wood, Brazil-wood, Braziletto, Canary-wood, Cocus-wood, Corornandel, 

 Ebony, Fustic, Iron - wood, Jack - wood, King - wood, Letter - wood, 

 Lignum vitce, Madagascar Red-wood, Nutmeg-wood, various Palms, 

 Partridge, Prince's and Purple woods, Queen-wood, red Sanders, Rose- 

 wood, Satin, Tulip, Yew, and Zebra-wood. Of these we shall now pro- 

 ceed to speak seriatim. 



Of the sources of the African black- wood nothing certain is known. 

 It is referred by some to the Cocobolo prieto, from Madagascar and 

 Eastern Africa, a tree which we cannot trace. Possibly it may be from 

 Afzelia Africanus, but more probably it is the black iron wood, or South 

 African ebony, Olina camifolis, a most valuable hard-wood, brownish, 

 close, and heavy ; excellent for turning and carving, and much used in 

 the Cape colony by cabinet-makers. Angica is a Brazilian wood, which 

 is used also by cabinet-makers. The tree producing it has not been 

 correctly determined, but it is believed to be a species of Ailanthus. 

 The barwood and camwood of commerce, although imported under 

 distinct names and from different parts of Western Africa, are the pro- 

 duct of the same tree, Baphia nitida. The wood yields a brilliant red 

 colour, which is used for giving the red hue to English bandanna hand- 

 kerchiefs. It is not a permanent colour, however, and is rendered deeper 

 by sulphate of iron. We imported in 1861, 1,154 tons of camwood, 

 valued at 20,457Z., and 2,075 tons of barwood, valued at 6,171. These 

 woods may be distinguished by their rich purplish tinge. The bully 

 tree or beef-wood is said to be a South American wood, obtained from 

 British Guiana, and has been referred, but erroneously, to Robinia 

 panacoco. The wood passing under the name of " panacoco " is Ormosia 

 coccinea. Botany bay oak, sometimes called beefwood, is the trade name 

 for the wood of Casuarina stricta and other species of Casuarina, of 

 New South Wales. Among those which were sent to the recent Exhi- 

 bition by the colony, were the forest or shingle oak, or beefwood 

 ( C. suberosa), a wood of great beauty, but only fit for veneers ; the 

 spreading oak, swamp oak, and white oak, all woods of little value 

 in an ornamental point of view. Some of the wood imported under the 

 name of Botany Bay oak is well adapted for inlaying and marquetry. 

 It is of a light yellowish brown colour, often marked with short red 

 veins. One variety is extremely beautiful, and nearly as hard as tulip- 

 wood. It is finely dappled with rich intwining streaks, on a high flesh- 

 coloured ground. 



Boxwood is one of the most important hard woods which we receive 

 for the special uses to which it is applied. The mediaeval collections 

 testify to the exquisite skill of some of the old wood carvers on this 

 material. Boxwood is also of great use to the turner, the mathematical 

 and musical instrument makers, and the wood engraver. The 

 largely extended use of woodcuts for the illustrated literature of the 

 day has led to an universally increased demand for this, the best 



