China. \ 



ORIENTAL COMMERCE. 



47? 



willi a blueish cast, having a number of blood red spots, veins, or clouds 

 in it. The best comes From India, and is in request with the Chinese as 

 an ornament to their girdle-clasps. Chuse such as are of a fine deep green, 

 smooth and shilling, full of bright red spots, like drops of blood on it, in 

 large pieces, free from cracks and flaws. 



<' am nil UK, China. — This article was long supposed to be prepared 

 from the Baroos or Sumatra eamphire, but is now ascertained to be the 

 produce of a species of Laurtut, growing in the Chinese dominions and Japan, 

 different from that of Sumatra or Borneo. It is prepared from a decoction 

 of the wood and roots of the tree, and cut into small pieces. It is made 

 into cakes, which incline to a greyish colour, and are composed of small 

 grains, mixed with some impure matter; they are not very heavy, nor very 

 compact, but easily crumble to pieces. If these cakes be tolerably pure, 

 they will, when set on fire, burn away, and leave but few ashes; the fewer 

 the better. What is brought from China is of two kinds, refined and unre- 

 fined ; but the latter is preferred, the duty thereon being much less than on 

 that which is refined. 



15 Cwt. of camphire are allowed to a ton ; but it is not permitted to 

 be imported in ships from China. 



Cassia Lignea (Tej\ Hind., Twacha, San.) is the bark of the Laurus 

 ( as.sia ( Tijptitf Hind., Tamala patra, San.), growing in China, on Su- 

 matra, the Malabar Coast, and other parts of India, It is a different 

 species of the same genus as the cinnamon tree, and is separated from 

 the branches of this tree in the same manner as cinnamon. They take off 

 the two barks together, and separating the rough outer one, which is of no 

 value, they lay the inner bark to dry, which rolls up, and becomes what 

 we call cassia lignea. It resembles cinnamon in appearance, smell, and 

 taste; the best is imported from China in small pipes or tubes, sometimes 

 the thickness of the ordinary tubes of cinnamon, and of the same length ; 

 but usually they are shorter and thicker, and the bark itself coarser. It is 

 of a tolerably smooth surface, and brownish colour, with some cast of red, 

 but much less so than cinnamon. It is of a less fibrous texture, and more 

 brittle, of an aromatic smell and taste, tndy of the cinnamon kind, but the 

 smell weaker, and the taste much less acrid and biting. It is distinguished 

 from cinnamon by this want of pungency, and yet more by its being of a 

 mucilaginous or gelatinous quality, when taken into the mouth, and held 

 there some time. There are some that incline to a yellow, and some to a 

 brown colour ; but these varieties depend on accidents which do not much 

 affect its value. It should be chosen in thin pieces, of an agreeable, biting, 

 and aromatic taste, and the best is that which approaches nearest to cinna- 



