Account of the Simia syndactyla, or Ungka ape of Sumatra; the anatomy of its larynx / [George Bennett].

  • George Bennett
Date:
[1832]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Account of the Simia syndactyla, or Ungka ape of Sumatra; the anatomy of its larynx / [George Bennett]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    this time there was some sandal wood, of small size, weigh¬ ing in the yard, to be sent on board an American ship about to sail for Canton. The supercargo, who was superintending the weighing, seeing these pieces, mistook them for sandal wood; and, anxious to secure two such large pieces among the small kind which he had purchased, placed them in the scales; and they were sent on board with the rest, the person engaged in weighing being also ignorant of the difference. This circumstance was not discovered until some time after the ship had sailed: engaged in other pursuits, I had for some time forgotten my wood ; but on enquiring for it, its disappearance was accounted for, after some time, by the cause just related. I was informed that a cargo of the wood was taken by an American ship to Canton; and, on its arrival there, it was only considered fit for firewood. The name of a “ spurious sandal wood ” is a source of alarm to those who, engaged in purchasing sandal wood, are not able to judge of the difference, or had only known the 66 spurious kind ” by name. An instance of this occurred under my own observation. A vessel arrived from the New Hebrides group at the Bay of Islands (New Zealand) in July, 1829, having on board some sandal wood. This was purchased by the commander of a ship lying at that place; he had only heard of the existence of a spurious kind when at the Saudwich Islands, but never having seen it, was unable to judge of the difference. When the sandal wood came on board, it was found to consist of the white, yellow, and red varieties, having been procured from trees of different ages; that which was of a whitish colour, and had less fragrance than the other wood, was considered immediately as what he had heard of as spurious wood, and was rejected, much to the annoyance of the owner, who declared it was all sandal wood. This supposed spurious kind was laid aside, and was finally delivered to the cook for fire-wood; and, when burning, a delightful fragrance was diffused over the ship. Some of it was landed amongst the fire-wood from the same ship at the Sandwich Islands, much to the surprise of some of the mer¬ chants, who thought that sandal wood must be very common on board when it was used as fire-wood. Thenaiho (Myoporum tenuifolium) attains the height of 15 to 20 ft., and a circumference of 3 or 4 ft.; the scented wood differs, according to the age of the tree, from a light yellow to a reddish colour; the tree is branchy; the leaves are lance¬ olate, entire, pointed, smooth, and of a light green colour; the flowers are smafi, solitary, of a white colour, with a pink spot on the internal part of each petal, the corolla five-cleft,