DAMMAR AND WOOD OIL. 93 



it was very different from any known kind of resins. The fact 

 is that it is a mixture of all kinds of resins, indeed any resinous 

 substance that the bees can get is collected. They quickly 

 find any wounded resinous tree and gather as much as they 

 can. I have seen them at work at Shoreas fS. parvifolia) 

 Garcinias, Calophyllum, Triomma and Angsana(Pterocarpnsindicus). 



Wood Oil. 



The trees of the genus Dipterocavpus do not, like the allied 

 Shoreas, produce dammar but they produce instead, wood oil, or 

 (xurjun oil, as it is commonly called, the Minyak Keruing of the 

 Malays. The Dipterocarpi are trees of gigantic size, with large 

 pink or white sweet scented flowers and globose or four or five 

 angled or winged fruits with a pair of long oblong wings as 

 much as nine inches long in D. grandiflorus Blanco. The oil is 

 obtained by cutting deep holes into the stem of the tree with an 

 axe or chisel about six inches square, the top of the hole sloping 

 inwards, and the floor excavated to hold the oil. A fire is then 

 made in the hole so as to char the sides and top, after which the 

 oil is exuded in considerable quantities, and collected in kerosine 

 tins. When the oil ceases to flow, it is usual to burn the wound 

 again, when it recommences. 



This operation does not necessarily injure the tree to any ex- 

 tent unless it is done to excess, butnatives often cut so many holes 

 in a tree that it dies and many trees have been thus killed. As 

 the oil-trees are usually very isolated in the forests and never 

 occur in any great number together a very large extent of 

 forest is required to supply a comparatively small amount of oil, 

 and the supply is now so scanty that the natives seldom go to 

 seek it, and the oil has nearly disappeared out of commerce. 



The oil is used for varnish either alone or mixed with other 

 substances, or for caulking boats and such purposes but it is 

 also used to a small extent in medicine under the name of Gur- 

 jun balsam, as a substitute for a Copaiba, and it is also stated to 

 be valuable used externally and internally in leprosy. When 

 allowed to stand the oil separates into a clear or dark liquid 

 known as Chaier by the Malays and thick semi-solid resin, Behu. 



The chief trees producing oil here, are, Dipterocarpvs grand- 

 jlorus, Blanco. Minyak Kerning Dadeh ; Minyak Gombang Kechil. 



