32 
POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
these is the splendid tamanu, or ati, callophyllum 
inophyllum ; this, like most of the trees in the 
islands, is an evergreen ; the leaves resemble those 
of the laurel in shape, but are more dark and 
shining; the trunk seldom rises above twelve or 
twenty feet without branching, yet it is one of the 
most magnificent trees in the country: the stem 
is often four feet in diameter; the grain of the 
wood resembles mahogany; the colour is rather 
lighter, but the texture equally close, and the wood 
more durable. It is one of the most valuable 
kinds of timber, and is not only used by the natives 
in the manufacture of their household furniture, but 
as keels for their largest canoes, as it is a kind of 
wood which the insects never perforate. Next to 
this, the hutu, Barringtonia speciosa , is the most 
splendid tree. Its growth and foliage greatly 
resemble the magnolia; and when in full bloom, 
its gigantic figure, adorned with large white 
flowers, whose petals are edged with bright pink, 
render it a most imposing object. The trunk is 
frequently three or four feet in diameter, but 
though occasionally used, it is less prized than the 
tamanu or tou, which is a species of cordia , and is a 
valuable tree. Next to the ati, the miro, thespesia, 
populnea , though of smaller growth, is most highly 
prized by the people; the wood is durable, the 
grain is close, and the colour a variegated chesnut. 
The atai, though deciduous, is a beautiful tree ; 
it is the erythrina coralodendron , and when in 
blossom, its light green acacia foliage, adorned with a 
bright red papilionaceous flowers, render it a most 
pleasing object. The branches are occasionally 
employed in fencing, but the wood of the trunk, 
being remarkably spongy, is seldom used. The sea 
shore is generally ornamented with several kinds 
