THE GAMBOGE OF COMMERCE. 
631 
true Ceylon gamboge is darker coloured, 
and mixed with dark brown spots. The 
Ceylon tree which produces the fine gam- 
boge is rare, as Colonel Walker informs me 
he has only met with it in one place, and 
that an old garden near a former Dutch set- 
tlement, not far from Negombo, It cannot 
surely be supposed that a tree, so exceedingly 
rai'e as this is represented, can be the one 
which affords all the gamboge produced in 
that island, still less so when it is borne in 
mind, thatthat obtained from it differs in qua- 
lity from that usually produced there, and 
known in commerce under the name of 
“ Ceylon gamboge.” From thesefacts I think 
we are entitled to conclude,that Dr. Graham 
has drawn a wide inference from insufficient 
data, or, in other words, has attempted to 
form a general rule from a solitary example. 
1 do not, however, wish it to be supposed, 
that I insist on our statement being held 
strictly correct, because a degree of uncer- 
tainty attaches to the tree or trees from 
which this substance is procured, that all 
the efforts of botanists for the last century 
have been unable altogether to remove ; all 
that I have attempted, or indeed wish to 
prove is, first — that facts adduced by Dr. 
Graham are not sufficient to invalidate our 
position, that the Xanthochymus ovalifo- 
lius is the only, indigenous plant in Ceylon 
that produces gamboge fit to be used in the 
arts ; though I fear, from further enquiries, 
that we were premature in hazarding so 
strong a statement ; and secondly — that the 
tree, from which Dr. Graham’s specimens 
were procured, is of exotic origin. I shall 
now attempt to account for the appearance 
in the island of that tree which is- neither a 
Garcinia nor Xanthochymus. 
About the beginning of the 17th century, 
the Dutch first imported gamboge into Eu- 
rope from China, and, not long after, they 
expelled the Portuguese from Ceylon, and 
formed setlements of their own there, which 
they retained until near the end of the 18th 
century. Is it at all unreasonable to sup- 
pose, that, in the course of that long period, 
they should endeavour to procure from their 
own territories a lucrative article of com- 
merce, in place of having to purchase from 
others all, of the finer sorts, required for 
their European trade t If not, we may 
readily suppose they imported the plants 
above referred to, and which have remained 
unnoticed by the English, until Colonel 
Walker accidentally discovered them about 
two years ago, in just such a situation as one 
might expect to find introduced trees, name- 
ly, in a garden close by a Dutch settlement. 
A most interesting discovery it is, since it 
seems to prove that they are of exotic origin, 
that the soil and climate are suitable for its 
growth and propagation, and leaves room 
to infer, that it might be introduced with 
success on the west coast, at least, of India, 
the climate of which corresponds in many 
respects with that of the south-west coast of 
Ceylon ; and, lastly, because, it, in part at 
least, sets this long agitated question at rest, 
by making us acquainted with the probable 
source of the best gamboge used in the arts. 
Botanically considei'ed, this plant presents 
some points of considerable interest, which 
may be the means of directing more of the 
attention of botanists to the peculiarities . 
of the order to which it belongs, than it has 
hitherto received. 
Dr. Graham shows that his plant is not a 
Xanthochymus., neither is it a Garcinia, and, 
unless there is an error in the description, 
that it cannot be a Stalagmitis, but that it 
forms a new genus, essentially characterised 
by its stamens, the filaments of which are 
united into a single square column, and the 
anthers one-celled, opening at the apex by 
a calyptra, or lid, in place of two-celled, 
bursting longitudinally, as in all the other 
genera of guttiferce ; characters amply suffi- 
cient to separate it from every other genus 
of the order. 
To the conviction expressed that this new 
genus is undoubtedly Goertner’s Mangostana 
morella, I can offer no objection, as I am 
altogether unacquainted with that plant, 
except through the figure, and because Dr. 
Graham has not stated the evidence on 
which he grounds this conclusion ; but if it 
should prove correct, I must acknowdedge it 
goes far to establish the fact of its being a 
native of Ceylon, and, consequently, that the 
juice of it, as well as of other trees, maybe 
drawn for gamboge as that of Garcinia pic- 
tor ea ’^Roxb. Another member of this new 
genus is in Malabar. 
Here the question must for the present 
rest ; as it can only be finally decided by 
reference to authentic specimens of the plant 
described by the older botanists (who usually 
paid much attention to useful plants), as the 
“ Arbor Indica Gummi Gutiam fundens,” 
and which has now been bandied about from 
species to species, till it seems to have multi - 
plied itself into about half a dozen different 
trees ; but I trust that Ceylon botanists will 
now be induced to take up the subject in ear- 
nest, and ascertain, by actual inspection and 
the preservation of specimens, the tree, or 
trees, for there may be several, from which 
its gamboge is derived, and further to deter- 
mine whether the trees, which have given 
rise to this fresh agitation of the question, 
are of indigenous or exotic origin. 
