330 THE TRADE IN LOGWOOD. 



they work much harder, having the means of satisfying all their wants. 

 The export of logwood in the last year of the Cauipeche settlement, 

 1718, was no less than 5,863 tons. 



The Honduras logwood trade has not increased of late years, although 

 the dye it yields is superior to that obtained from the wood cut in Jamaica 

 and St. Domingo. The Honduras and Yucatan wood sells for Gl. 6s. to 

 91 103. per ton, and the Jamaica and St. Domingo wood for 51. to 51. 10s. per 

 ton ; this is a very different price from that which it realised in Dampier's 

 days. He tells us that it then sold for 100Z. per ton, which, allowing for 

 the difference in money, would be equal to nearly 200?. at the present 

 day. The Jamaica and St. Domingo wood is used in the dyeing of car- 

 pets and other coarse cloths, while the Central American is employed 

 for dyeing all kinds of woollen, cotton, and silk fabrics. A considerable 

 quantity of logwood is shipped from Honduras to Oporto (according to a 

 piper by Chief Justice Temple in the 'Journal of the Society of Arts'), 

 whence it comes to us as prime port wine, recommended by the factdty 

 for its superior nutritious and astringent qualities. A large quantity of 

 logwood is also exported to the United States. 



Captain Dampier, the celebrated navigator, who wrote an account of 

 his voyage to the Bay of Honduras in the year 1674, gives some interest- 

 ing details of the rise of the logwood trade. He thus describes the 

 trees : — " They are much like our whitethorns in England, but generally 

 a great deal bigger ; the rind of the young growing branches is white 

 and smooth, with some prickles shooting forth here and there, so that 

 an Englishman not knowing the difference, would take them for white- 

 thorns, but the body and the old branches are blackish, the rind rougher, 

 with few or no prickles. The leaves are small and shaped like the com- 

 mon whitethorn leaf, of a palish green. We always chose to cut the old 

 black-rinded trees, for these have less sap, and require but little pains 

 to cut and chip them. The sap wood is white and the heart red ; the 

 heart is much used for dyeing, therefore we chip off all the white sap 

 till we come to the heart, and then it is fit to be transported to Europe. 

 After it has been chipped a little while it turns black, and if it lies in 

 the water it dyes it like ink, anil sometimes it has been used to write 

 with. Some trees are five or six feet in circumference, and these we can 

 scarce cut into logs small enough for a man's burden without great 

 labour, and therefore we are forced to blow them up. It is a very pon- 

 derous sort of wood, and burns very well, making a clear strong fire and 

 very lasting. We always harden the steels of our fire-arms when they 

 are faulty in a logwood fire, if we can get it." 



Logwood contains, according to Chevreul, a peculiar colouring prin- 

 ciple, which he has termed hematin, and which may be obtained as 

 follows : — On the watery extract of logwood digest alcohol for a day, 

 filter the solution, evaporate gently again, and then leave the liquid at 

 rest. Hematin is deposited in small crystals, which after washing 



