288 
Indian Forest Records. 
[VoL. 1. 
from between tlie outer and inner barks, is collected by means of a 
hollow bamboo which is thrust into the bark just below the apex of 
the above-mentioned triangular piece of the outer bark. The flow 
of the sap is rather slow, and 10 days are allowed to pass before 
the bamboo is emptied. A similar cut is then made in the same 
(riangular piece of bark a short distance above, and the sap collect- 
ed for another 10 days after which it ceases to flow, necessitating 
fresh incisions in other places on the stem.^ The crude varnish 
thus obtained may be purified by carefully straining it through 
strong cotton cloth. 
The uses of the Burmese varnish are varied and manifold as 
those of the Japanese lacquer. It has been employed to varnish 
wood, stone, iion and leather, and to make paper and cloth water- 
proof. Mixed with saw-dust, cow-dung ashes, bone ashes or pre- 
pared rice husks, it is used for groundwork or as a cement or a 
moulding material. To attain the final degree of polish only the 
pure liqiiid obtained by pressing- the natural varnish once or twice 
through strong cloth is used. Different colours may be imparted 
to the varnish by adding to it lamp black, indigo, orpiment, ver- 
milion, gold and silver leaf, etc. 
The Burmese varnish in its piire natural state is very similar in 
appearance to the pure TTrushi or Japanese lacquer. The latter 
under the microscope appears as a brown emiilsion consisting of 
minute globules of two kinds, — very numerous small globules of 
darker colour and more sparsely scattered large globules of lighter 
colour — mixed up with minute particles of some opaque brownish 
matter (Rein, Industries of Jafan, p. 346 : H. Toshida, Journal 
of th'p Chemical S'oriety, Vol. XLITI, 1883, p. 474). Perfectly 
agreeing with this description is the appearance of the Burmese 
varnish when examined under a powerful microscope (ride Plates). 
Briefly described, the principle of the lacquering process is as 
follows: — First the imperfections in the article desired to be var- 
nished are filled up with a piitty made of inferior qualities of 
lacquer mixed with some suitable* substance such as saw-diist. cow- 
dixng ashes or rice paste. After this tlm varnish is repeatedly 
applied, and before each application care is taken that the previous 
coat has perfectly dried. The drying of all lacqxier coats must 
* For a detailed description of the process of extraction of the crude varnish 
reference may be made to Sir D. Brandi?’ Notes on the Burmese Varnish, etc. 
Indian Forester, Vol. 1, No. 4, p. 362. 
