farclyj to the fouthward of the line, where, from natural iDferiority, 
or want of ikill in coUe^ling- it, the feiall quantity produced is black and 
of little value. The tree does not grow to any confiderable fize, and Is 
never ufed as timber. The feeds are round,, of a brown color, and about 
the iize of a moderate bolus. The leaves are rough, crilp^ inclining to 
curl at the pointy and yield a very ftrong fcent, refcmbUng that of tur- 
pentine, more than of their proper gum. In fome places, near the fca 
coaft, the natives cultivate large plantations of it, as the quicknefs of 
it's growth affords them a probability of reaping the advantage of theit - 
induftry, which they could fcarcely expedt from the camphire tree,^nd 
I believe that none of them afe fo provident as to look forward to the 
benefit of poflcrity. The feeds or nuts are fown in the paddee fidds, 
and afterwards require no other cultivation than to clear away the fhruba 
^rom about them. When the trees are grown fo big, as to have trunks 
of fix or eight inches in diameter, incifions arc then made in the bark,* 
from whence afterwards the gum exfudes-, which is carefully pared off 
with a knife. The pureft of the gum,' coming firft from the tree, is 
white, foft and fragrant, and is called head benjamin, according to the 
ufual diftindtion of the qualities of dJrUgs in Ihdi^. The inferior forts, 
which, in the operation, are more oi' lefs mixed with the parings, and' 
perhaps other juices of tiae tree, arie darker colored, anil harder J 
parttcuiariy the foot, which is very foul. The trees will feldom bear 3 
repetion of thofe incifions more than ten or twelve years. The head is 
fubdivided into Europe and India head, of which the 'firil is fuperior,- 
and is the only forr adapted to chat market : the other, with moft of the 
belly, goes to Arabia, the Gulph of Perfia', and fohie places in India, 
where it is burned, as in the Malay iflands, " to perfume the houfcs, er- 
pell troublefomc infodts, and obviate the pernicious effects of un- 
'wholefbme air, or noxious exhalations. It is brought dowTi' 
from the country in tompanj^s or large cakes, covered with matting. In* 
order to pack it in chefts, it is ncceflary to foften with boiling water, 
the coarfer forts; the head benjamm is broken into pieces, and expofed 
to the heat of the fun, which proves fufficient to run it down. The 
^reateil part of the quantity brought to England, is. exported from 
d^ood' .1 bne di fii thence 
