THE SANDALWOOD FAMILY. 



247 



and is the valuable part ; it is higlily fragrant. The burning 

 of incense has from the earliest ages been intimately connected 

 with the religious sentiments of man, being practised by 

 Pagan, Jew, and Christian. In the churches of the latter 

 various kinds of aromatic gum resins are used, while in Pagan 

 temples sandalwood holds the highest rank, pieces of the 

 wood varying in size according to circumstances, being burned 

 before the images of their deities, and the millions of Brah- 

 mins and Buddhists, on beholding the smoke incense curling 

 heavenward, presume they have performed their religious 

 duties, and that the perfume smelt by their deity will obtain 

 forgiveness for sins. In Chinese temples joss sticks 

 (candles), made of the sawdust of sandalwood and swines' 

 dung, are kept burning before their idols. On the discovery 

 of sandalwood in the Polynesian islands, shiploads were 

 taken to China and to Europe, so that in many islands 

 the trees have become extirpated, and the chiefs now con- 

 sider a piece of sandalwood a valuable present to a visitor. 

 Unfortunately the often clandestine cutting down of trees 

 and the unfair dealings with the natives so irritated them 

 against white men, that much bloodshed has on both sides 

 been the result. A case of this kind led to the unfortunate 

 murder of the celebrated missionary the Rev. Mr. Williams 

 and his colleague, at the island Eromango, in the year 1839. 



Fancy articles are made of the wood, which are highly 

 esteemed among the Chinese as presents. An oil is extracted 

 and used as a perfume. It is supposed that there are different 

 varieties, the tree in Fiji being considered as a distinct 

 species under the name of aS'. Tasi^ the fruit of which resem- 

 bles a black currant. The Sandwich Island tree is also con- 

 sidered distinct, known under the name of S. Freycinetianum. 



Sandalwood trees have been supposed by some writers to 

 be the almug and algum trees used in the building of Solo- 

 mon's Temple, but their fragrance not being mentioned, and 

 the known smallness of the tree, render such views proble- 

 matical. 



Quandang Nut (^Fusanus acummatus). A tree attaining 



