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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. II., PART II. 



to Mr. Brooke's report, might easily be rendered navigable 

 for one hundred and thirty miles from Trincomalee, and 

 which runs during a great part of its course through a dense 

 forest of ebony, satinwood, and halmililla. 



A later writer on Ceylon — Mr. Bennett — enumerates 

 ninety varieties of woods by their native names, but enters 

 into no detail whatever as to their particular uses or 

 localities, though he calls them " Kandyan woods. 5 ' 



A list of about two hundred varieties was taken home by 

 the late Sir A. Johnstone, and by him presented to the 

 parent Society, which afterwards, on the appointment of 

 Mr. Stewart Mackenzie to this Government, requested him 

 to collect and send the Society specimens of, and information 

 regarding the woods. This was not done, and I believe 

 nothing more has been attempted, save a few small 

 collections by various individuals ; amongst these may be 

 mentioned the specimens and catalogue presented to this 

 Society by Mendis Muhandiram. 



In offering a few remarks accompanying the catalogue 

 which I have prepared of the woods of this Island, I con- 

 sider that the subject is no more than barely touched upon. 

 The few facts, however, now thrown together may be the 

 means of inducing some of our many outstation members 

 to contribute to our stock of information. 



The first step towards an account of Ceylon timber is 

 undoubtedly to form a catalogue. The list with this I have 

 compiled by the aid of others. It comprises not less than 

 four hundred and sixteen varieties, which, it is believed, are 

 nearly all those which have been observed, though it is 

 possible that in the dense forests of Bintenna there may be 

 yet many new varieties. 



But a small portion of these are known by English names, 

 and I have as yet been able to find the botanical names of 

 very few. A column is added to show the comparative 



