The Forests of British Guiana. 175 
falcatd) and bullet-tree, but seems to grow only near 
the rivers and creeks, for about two or three miles inland 
from their banks, and is more and more scarce higher 
up the rivers toward the savannahs. In the clumps 
of trees that grow on the savannahs, and in the forest 
for many miles from its borders, I have never seen green- 
heart growing. There is none growing on the Cuyuni 
River above the Payuco Falls, two and a half days' 
journey from its mouth. There are three varieties of 
greenheart, yellow, black, and mainop, all most service- 
able and durable woods if cut when arrived at maturity. 
Greenheart is one of our tallest forest trees, and logs can 
be had from 18 to 24 inches square, and 70 feet long. 
Greenheart is one of the eight first-class woods at 
Lloyd's ; and admirable kelsons, knee and other tim- 
bers, can be made of it. This wood is used generally 
throughout the colony in the construction of stellings, 
bridges, houses, boats, &c, and in England for ship- 
building, dock-gates, piling, &c. For all these pur- 
poses, when arrived at maturity, there can hardly be 
a better wood ; but when young and sappy, it decays 
rapidly from the outside, and leaves a small core of du- 
rable wood, locally known as " tacouba," proportion- 
ate to the size of the original log. The bark and seeds 
of the greenheart are also exported, a medicine being 
made from them, called bibirine, somewhat similar in its 
effects to quinine. 
The Indian name of the tree is in Arawack, bibiroo , 
in Accawoi, rora-ek ; and in Carib and in the patois 
Dutch of the Essequibo, sipiri. 
All the greenheart cut in the colony hitherto has been 
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