( 63 ) 
This Kuppalee appears to me to be a most valuable timber tree; and as 
these forests occur only along the shores, nowhere extending inland further than 
a mile or so, and then in rather level lands along the creeks, where a landing by 
boats is rendered easier, the regular working is made more practicable A road 
along the coasts would be easy of construction without being compelled to pass 
over numerous narrow and steep ridges, as is the case further inland. 
As the sea encroaches slowly, and the mangrove swamps too, the land on 
which these trees are growing becomes gradually smaller in extent, and the trees 
are being destroyed by the influence of sea water. We see sometimes a Kup¬ 
palee growing together with mangrove, or a dead stem amongst them. 
The “ bullet wood” which Major B. Ford mentions, in his report already 
referred to, was pointed out by him tome as coming from the tree standing at the 
commissariat offices at Boss Island, that tree is Calophyllum inophyllmi. My 
latter investigations, however, have shown decidedly that Major Ford’s specimen 
of bullet wood must have come from Mimusops Indica . 
This wood has been sold for Bs. 50 per ton, and the conservancy of 
these forests will be a favorable one, especially as I believe this w r ood could be 
used advantageously for railways, machinery, &c., where great durability and 
strength is required. For house building, furniture, &c,, it might, perhaps, be 
found too heavy. 
Second-rate timber trees. —Amongst the second-rate timber trees which occur 
in such a quantity that they may be noted from a practical point of view, I can 
mention only pyemna or pemah ( Lagerstroemia) , ganggo or kengan (Mesua 
ferrea ), padouk ( Pterocarpus dalbergioides), kokkoh (Albizzia Lebbekj, and 
(Careya sphaericaj , which all occur in the high forests. 
Along the mangrove swamps are the following kinds notable for their 
strong wood :—penlay-oong (C'arapa obovataj , pinlaydmnazoee or soondree tree 
(Hemtiera littoralis), and bewboe (Bruguiera gymnorhiza). 
These trees (except the three last mentioned) are not equally distributed 
throughout the jungles, but occur more or less frequently. Thus ganggo forms 
a prevailing type with wood-oil trees ( Dipterocarpus laevis) around "Aberdeen 
and Mount Harriet; padouk and pemah are most common at the western 
coasts and behind Black Creek, as also on the Labyrinth Islands, &c., &c. 
All these trees occur also in Burmah in great quantity, but are not worked, 
as teak is preferable. 
The other trees enumerated in my list are dispersed in less number 
throughout the jungles, or are nearly valueless. 
Difficulty of transportation of timber. —As there are no streams, roads, or 
any other kind of easy communication, the hills and ridges being mostly too 
steep and made nearly impenetrable by the great quantity of climbers, the trans¬ 
portation of the felled timber will meet with great difficulties. 
Also bamboo fit for floating timber has not as yet been found on these 
islands. 
The absence of fresh water during the dry season in most places, as also of 
pastures and other cultivation, makes the importation of elephants or cattle of 
burden at present not desirable. 
The convict labor, too, is very indifferent (five convicts are said to do the 
same work as one free native worker), and scarce,—the greatest part of them 
being required for clearing of lands, erection of stores and buildings, for boat¬ 
men, servants, &c. 
Their untrustworthiness, moreover, would make the stay of a Forest Officer 
in the jungles without good protection rather dangerous. 
Exportation of these timbers unnecessary.— Such being the case, it appears 
to me that it is not necessary to allow these second-class timbers to be used from 
the Andaman Islands as long as we possess such a large stock of teak and other 
