PROGRESS OF SCIENCE AND LITERATURE IN INDIA. 
observed a few boulders of lias clay and calc 
spar imbedded in its banks. Proceeding from 
thence by a neat/T/oum and grove of mangoe 
trees, I arrived at Seppo-towng, a village si- 
tuated at the foot of a high hill covered with 
forest trees, and diversified with a few spots 
of ground cleared for the cultivation of the 
plantain tree. The tall Girjuns, with their 
white trunks divested of branches, were emi- 
nently conspicuous amidst their more graceful 
but probably less serviceable neighbours. 
The Girjtin yields the oil that bears its name, 
and is used for combustion as well as for ad- 
mixture with paints, varnishes, &c. (See 
Jour. As. Soc. II. 93.) 
Ihese trees are very abundant upon the 
island, and are farmed by Government. The 
mode of extracting the oil would appear to be 
as follows : a deep notch is cut in the trunk 
of the tree by means of a dhao or other in- 
strument, and to this fire is applied until the 
wood becomes heated, and oil is seen to exude 
upon the surface. In the course of three or 
four days perhaps as much as a seer or a seer 
and a half of oil is collected within the cavity, 
and the tree will continue to afford a certain 
quantity of oil for five months or more, the 
collections being generally made every fifth 
day. When the oil has ceased to flow the 
tree is again cut in the same place, so that 
the whole of the wood which had been con- 
sumed or scorched is removed ; fire is once 
more applied, and the oil collected as before. 
The notch has after repeated cuttings become 
so deep as would render any further attack 
upon the trunk, in this particular spot, de- 
structive to the tree ; in which case the dhao 
is laid upon another part of the trunk, and 
the same process observed as before men- 
tioned. The tree is said to yield oil at all 
seasons of the year, precautions being taken 
during the rains to exclude the water. A 
large Girjun tree has been known to produce 
oil for 12 successive years, and as others are 
constantly supplying the place of those de- 
stroyed, there is no falling off in the amount 
of the several years’ collections. The oil is 
sold in Ramhree at the rate of two or three 
maunds per rupee, and the greater part of it 
bought for exportation.” 
In our next we shall conclude this in- 
teresting account of Ramhree. 
Art. IV. — Madras Journal of Literature 
and Science, published under the auspices 
of the Madras Literary Society and 
Auxiliary Royal Society, edited by the 
Secretary to the Asiatic Department, 
No. 12, July, 1836. Oct. pp. 240. 
Madras. Printed and Published by J. B. 
Pharoah. 
The light of science and literature is now 
bursting forth in all parts of India ! When we 
commenced the labours of our new work we 
did not expect to have upon our desk so 
many splendid productions, containing, in so 
great a measure, erudition and talent ; but 
they crowd upon us, and no sooner is one 
passed through analysis than another is 
submitted- The work we are now about to 
examine has just reached us but in time to 
enable us to announce it to our readers. 
A brief examination of its contents has been 
quite sufficient to prove that the journal con- 
tains matter which will excite intense inter- 
est among the scientific circles of the east, 
as well as add considerably to our present 
state of the physical and geological charac- 
ter of India. The geological papers are from 
the well known pen of Dr. Benza and Mr. 
Robt. Cole. The formergives a geological des- 
cription of the country between Madras and 
Neilgherry hills ; the latter on the geological 
position and association of the laterite in ^ 
iron-clay formation of India, with a descrip- 
tion of that rock as it is found at the red . 
hills near Madras. An exceedingly inter- 
esting communication of Col. Monteith’s on 
a visit to Cumbaucumdroog — a remarkable 
tableland near Madras, contains some refer- 
ence to the geological character in that direct 
tion. On botanical subjects are observations 
on the Flora of Courtallum, by Dr. R. 
Wright, and Remarks on the Vegetation of 
the Neilgherries, by Captain AUardyce. 
There are notes also by Col. Monteith on 
Persia, Tartary, and Afghanistan. A paper of 
great value by Mr. Taylor, astronomer to the 
H. C. C. gives a cursory view of the present 
state of astronomical science, with a sum- 
mary desiderate, together with a notice of 
astronomical results at the Madras observa- 
tory. We also observe a communication on 
the mass of the planet Jupiter, by Goday 
Venkata Juggarow. In addition to the 
foregoing we find a curious and able paper 
on the metamorphosis of the musquito, by 
Mr. Gilchrist. Among literary and historical 
subjects is a paper giving a brief notice of 
some of the Persian poets, by Lieut. New- 
bold ; a communication on the genealogy of 
the Kings of the Mahomedan dynasty in 
Achin, by Lieut. Reynolds ; also observa- 
tions on original and derived languages, by 
the Rev. B. Schmid. We promise however 
to give our readers an analysis of these 
articles in our next and succeeding numbers. 
