344 Particular Account of the Cinnamon. 
has been totally prohibited since the island came into our pos- 
session. 
There are several different species of cinnamon trees on the 
island ; at least, trees which in appearance resemble them. 
Four sorts however are alone barked, and all these are species of 
the plant I have all along been describing, the laurus cinnamomum. 
Cinnamon is known among the natives by the name of curundu, 
and it is by various epithets joined to this appellation that the 
several kinds are distinguished. The rasse curundu, or honey- 
cinnamon, is distinguished by its large, broad, thick leaves, 
and is accounted to have the finest flavour. The nai curundu, 
or snake cinnamon, has also large leaves, and is not greatly 
inferior in quality to the former. The capuru curundu, or cam- 
phor cinnamon, is an inferior species: its root yields camphor 
by distillation ; or if an incision be made in it, a gummy 
substance containing camphor distils of itself from the wound. 
The cahatte curundu is an astringent species of cinnamon, harsh 
to the taste, with rather smaller leaves than the former sorts. 
These four are the only species of cinnamon-tree which pro- 
duces this spice of a good quality, or indeed which are ever 
allowed to be barked by the servants of government. There 
are some other varieties which are easily distinguisliable. The 
saevel curundu has its bark of a soft, fibrous texture, neither 
so compact nor so firm as those already mentioned, but easily 
bending without breaking; when chewed it leaves a slimy mucus 
in the mouth. The daivul curundu, or flat cinnamon, receives 
its name from the bark, on being dried, not rolling itself to- 
gether, but remaining flat. The nica curundu is distinguished 
by its long narrow leaves. These are the only species which 
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