GARC AND CHANDAN. 75 



outward appearance of a tree whether or no it contains any. 

 The greater number of trees do not. The ordinary wood of 

 the tree is soft and white and seldom used for any purpose, but 

 apparently from some injury or other certain trees are hollow 

 and contain a certain quantity of the dark brown resinous wood 

 with its peculiar odor. An account of the ceremonies used and 

 the names of varieties of Garu was published by Mr. Bland in 

 Journal No. 18 pages 359 to 361, which is quoted by Skeat in 

 Malay Magic p. 20 6, with further additions and notes on the 

 subject. Eight varieties are mentioned including the Chandan, 

 which, however, is from a different tree and perhaps some of the 

 others are not strictly speaking Garu, but it is admitted that 

 there are several distinct varieties, of very different values. 

 The early history of Garu is interesting although it cannot be 

 certainly known to which of the two kinds the early records 

 refer. It is always considered that the lign-aloes of the Bible, 

 Ahalim, was Garu or Eagle wood, but the passages in which it was 

 mentioned seem hardly to bear this out ; thus Balaam refers to 

 " the trees of the lign-aloes which the Lord hath planted," which 

 if Garu he could have never seen, and though it is also referred 

 to as being used for scenting the clothes and body in several 

 passages, it does not appear as an ingredient in incense, for 

 which it would be more likely to be used. The earliest definite 

 mention of it appears to be by the Arab physician Abu Ali Al- 

 hosain (commonly known as Avicenna), who lived from 980 to 

 1037. He mentions two kinds, Xylaloes and Agalugen. The 

 first word Xylaloes is a Greek form of Lignum Aloes, which is 

 a perversion of the Arabic Alud (literary the wood), which was 

 modified into aloe wood and so Lignum Aloes. The first good 

 account of the Garu is that by Garcia de Orta, who visited 

 Malacca about 1534. He gives its name as Garo, and the best 

 kind as Calambac, and states that it comes from Malacca and 

 Sumatra whence it is brought by the Chinese, and is not as some 

 persons supposed drifted down the rivers from paradise whence 

 its old popular name paradise-wood. He obtained twigs and 

 leaves from Malacca but was unable to get fruits or flowers on 

 account of the difficulty and danger of daily observing the trees, 

 because tigers frequently prowled about there. He states also 

 that the natives of Malacca used to .repurge the Garu before 



