Page:Timber and Timber Trees, Native and Foreign.djvu/213

XXVI.] India Company's pilot brig 'Salween,' taking in a cargo of Jarrah at Bunbury. This was supplied by Mr. W. Pearce Clifton, and the vessel was sent at my instance in order to a series of trials of the wood in the Kidderpore dockyard. These trials, I regret to say, were not favourable to the character of the wood, and the result was that no further supply was ordered.

"When last at Calcutta I obtained the sanction of the Government of Bengal to further tests of the wood, the greater portion of the 'Salween's' cargo being then still in store, but I am sorry to say that the result was not more favourable than before."

The clerk of works at Freemantle reporting summarily upon the opinions expressed by the ship-builders and others, says:

"The sound timber resists the attack of the 'teredo navalis' and 'white ant.' On analysis by Professor Abel, it was found to contain a pungent acid that was destructive to life. The principle, however, was not found to be present in the unsound portions. Great care is therefore necessary in preparing the wood for use by flitching the log so as to cut all the defective portions of the heart out, and using only the perfectly sound timber.

Fig. 25 will show the mode of flitching, so as to retain the sound wood in any required size for all practical purposes, A B C D E F being flitches. Very much has been said about Jarrah being subject to split when exported to India or England in log. It must be borne in mind that its density renders seasoning very slow, and that the inner portions of the larger trees are in