158 



ORIENTAL COMMERCE. [Bombay. 



light bitterness. In diarrhoeas this root is regarded as a medicine of great 

 efficacy. 



Sandal Wood, or Yellow Santders, (Zandal, Arab.) — The tree which 

 produces sandal wood, is called by Dr. Roxburgh, Syr htm Afyrtifolhtm t 

 ( C/iandan, Hind. Clunirltuw, San.) and grows on the Malabar Coast, the 

 Island of Timor, and one or two island? in the eastern seas ; but the Mala- 

 bar is the best. The tree has something of the appearance of a large myrtle, 

 with stiff branches ; its leaves, which are about two inches long, and three 

 quarters of an inch broad, are like those of the privet, smooth and shining ; 

 it bears a small red ilower, and the berry is about the size of a pea, smooth, 

 juicy, and black, when ripe. The common size of the tree at the root, 

 when it is cut, is about nine inches in diameter, but sometimes considerably 

 larger. When the trees are felled, the bark is taken off; they are then cut 

 into billets, and buried in a dry place for two months, during which period 

 the white ants will eat the outer wood without touching the heart, which is 

 the sandal; it is then taken up and smoothed, and according to the size, 

 sorted into three kinds. The deeper the colour, the higher is the perfume ; 

 and hence the merchants sometimes divide sandal into red, yellow, and 

 white ; but these are all different shades of the same colour, and do notarise 

 from any difference in the species of the tree. The nearer the root, in ge- 

 neral the higher is the perfume. The billet nearest the root is commonly 

 called root-sandal, and is of a superior quality. 



Sandal wood is sorted into three sizes. The first sort contains 65, the 

 second sort 72, and the third sort 90 pieces to a candy : all pieces smaller 

 than these, all rent and knotty pieces, whatever may be their size, together 

 with cuttings, roots, and the like, are called Carippu, and form a fourth sort. 

 The chips, which are removed in polishing the logs, form a fifth assortment 

 The three first only are sent to China. The Carippu is chiefly sent to Ben- 

 gal and Muscat, and the chips to Cutch and Muscat. 



The produce of the coast is said to be about 2000 candies per annum, 

 sometimes more. The Company used to send about 800 candies to China ; 

 all the remainder was sent by private traders to Bengal, Bombay, Cutch, 

 and Muscat. The Company's Resident makes the purchase from the mer- 

 chants on the sea-coast for ready money. These have always on hand a 

 considerable stock, as sandal rather improves by keeping. 



In cbusing sandal wood, the larger pieces should be selected, free from 

 knots, rents, or cracks, of a close texture and fine grain ; of a dark yellow 

 colour, an extremely sweet smell, and the outer bark clean off The smaller 

 pieces, and such as are decayed, and have white wood about them, should be 

 rejected. Particular care should be taken that a wood much resembling 



