Page:Timber and Timber Trees, Native and Foreign.djvu/217

XXVI.] capacity of a ship to carry it. Governor Weld, of Western Australia, says he has estimated trees of this description at 300 feet; and the learned botanist, Baron Van Mueller, of Melbourne, states that the Kari tree reaches the height of 400 feet.

The wood is red in colour, hard, heavy, strong, tough, and slightly wavy or curled in the grain, but it has no figure to recommend it for cabinet purposes. Six logs of this timber, viz., two of 12″ × 12″ × 28′, one of 12″ × 12″ × 34′, two of 24″ × 24″ × 24′, and one of 24″ × 24″ × 32′, were recently shipped at Freemantle by the Western Australian Government for delivery at one of the royal dockyards in England, for experimental trial in the navy, the colonists being of opinion that it will ere long be in great request for ship-building and other architectural works. Unfortunately, however, all these logs had the defect of star-shake, which rendered them unfit for almost any purpose except where they could be employed in very large scantlings.

It was also noticed that the Kari had the peculiar blistery appearance of the annual layers which has been mentioned as common to the Jarrah, consequently this wood is not considered to be suitable for any work requiring nicety of finish, although no doubt it would be admirably suitable for piles for jetties, bridges, &c., and generally for heavy structures where large scantlings and great strength is required. It will not last between wind and earth, though, as far as is yet known, it resists the action of water.

It is much to be regretted that a tree so noble in its dimensions should prove so disappointing in its character; but, like the Jarrah, to which it has some resemblance, it is not, I think, likely to be in request for architectural works in this country.