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



These are the woods almost universally employed for coffee 

 casks, their cheapness greatly recommending them for the 

 purpose. The former abounds in all. the forests of the 

 maritime and Central Provinces. I am of opinion, however, 

 that more unsuitable wood could hardly be found than this 

 and the hora ; indeed, unless they be remarkably well 

 seasoned or deprived of their resinous and gummy matters 

 by boiling, they are about the worst timber that could be used 

 for coffee. 1 have seen floating on the surface of water in 

 which these woods had been boiled a scum, an inch thick, of 

 dark gummy matter, the liquor emitting an offensive odour. 

 In addition to this the porous nature of the wood is an 

 objection not to be overlooked. These are disadvantages 

 which do not occur in other kinds of wood to nearly so great 

 an extent. 



Although being placed in the third class for reasons 

 already assigned, the cocoanut is by far the most valuable of 

 the trees of Ceylon to the natives, and regarded in a 

 commercial point of view, it must be so considered by 

 Europeans. Its use generally as a building wood is confined 

 to the natives, who require no other with which to construct 

 their humble dwellings. For rafters it is also used generally. 

 The harder part of the tree is capable of being worked up 

 for furniture and ornamental purposes, admitting of a very 

 good polish; it will not, however, stand any long exposure to 

 weather, and the green wood will decay in ten days or a 

 fortnight if left exposed. There would appear to be no 

 portion of this truly valuable tree lost to the Sinhalese : 

 every part from the root to the dried flower and the stalks 

 of the leaves is placed to its own proper use. 



In the fourth class are found all those woods which are 

 either quite useless, save for firewood, or are only employed 

 for the most inferior works, such as fencing gardens and 

 for the walls of temporary mud and stick huts. They are 



