334 



ORIENTAL COMMERCE. [Malay Peninsula. 



employment it is to collect it, usually cut down a number of trees before 

 they find one that contains a sufficient quantity to repay their labour ; it is 

 said that not a tenth part of the number felled produce either camphire or 

 camphire oil, although the latter is less rare : this scarcity tends to enhance 

 the price. The tree, when cut down, is divided transversely into several 

 blocks, and these again are split with wedges into small pieces, from the in- 

 terstices of which the camphire, if any there be, is extracted. It is dis- 

 tinguished into three sorts j — 



Head. — This comes readily away in large flakes, almost transparent, 

 somewhat like crystals of saltpetre, free from dust, dirt, or other impurities. 



Belly consists of small flakes, mixed with that which is brownish, but 

 transparent, somewhat resembling rosin coarsely powdered, with few sticks 

 and straws in it 



Foot, resembling dark coloured rosin, is chiefly scraped from the 

 wood, and often mixed with it, having a number of shining particles — the 

 more of them, the better. 



The mode of separating the camphire from its impurities is by washing ; 

 it is then passed through sieves or screens of different sizes, to make the 

 assortment, so far as it depends upon the size of the grains; but much 

 of the selection is also made by hand, and particular care is taken to dis- 

 tinguish, from the genuine kinds, that which is produced by an artificial 

 concretion of the essential oil. The method usually observed in purchasing 

 it, is to take four sieves and a catty of camphire out of each sort, in the 

 following proportions : — 



TaU-S, Mate. 



1st sort~**~* capallo, or large head «,^vx„ 2 2 

 2d ditto mm capallo cachell, or small head.* 3 5 



3d ditto * baddan, or belly 4 2 



4th ditto ™> cakee, or foot™******™*^™ 6 1 



Making in the whole — Tales 16 0 equal to one catty. 



The quantity annually brought down for sale on the W. side, does not 

 exceed 50 peculs. The head should be chosen in thin white scales, about 

 the breadth of a nail, which is mixed with two or three sures smaller, the 

 smallest much resembling sea-sand in grain and colour; the more of the first 

 sort, the better. It should be of a strong, fragrant, and penetrating smell, 

 of a bitterish aromatic taste, softening under the teeth, and accompanied with 



