From the areca nut another kind of catechu is prepared, which is generally preferred as a masticatory. Heyne thus describes the process of its manufacture, “Areca nuts are taken as they come from the tree, and boiled for some hours in an iron vessel. They are then taken out and the remaining water is inspissated by continued boiling. This process furnishes _kassu_, or most stringent _terra japonica_, which is black, and mixed with paddy husks and other impurities. After the nuts are dried, they are put in a fresh quantity of water, boiled again, and the water, being inspissated like the former, yields the best or dearest kind of catechu, called _coury_. It is yellowish brown, has an earthy fracture, and is free from the admixture of foreign bodies.” It is probable that the flat round cakes, covered with paddy husks, met with in commerce is the _kassu_ of Heyne. The husk which surrounds the nut, and which is of a fibrous nature, resembling the coir of the cocoa nut is thrown away by tons, and allowed to rot. This substance has lately been experimented upon for the manufacture of paper, for which purpose it appears to be available, and, as there is no want of the raw material, perhaps at some future time it will become utilized as extensively as the “coir” of Ceylon. The Bombay catechu is obtained from _Acacia catechu_, and the Bengal catechu from _Uncaria Gambir_. The Bombay produce is of a dark brownish red colour, and is stated to be the richer of the two in tannin. The Bombay variety is commonly called “cutch,” while the Bengal produce is of a lighter brown colour, and is termed “terra.” Catechu of good quality is also obtained from Pegu. The catechu exported from Madras to England, Bombay, France, and Ceylon was— 1853-4— 484 cwt. valued at £199 4s. 1864-5—1,364 ” ” 698 8 1855-6—2,908 ” ” 2,297 2 part of 1856-7— 658 ” ” 270 8 —————— ————————- Or in 3½ years—5,414 ” ” £4,265 2 But this is only a small proportion of the catechu consumed in England alone, since in 1849 we imported 169,140 cwts. of that substance for tanning purposes, and the quantity has since increased. The totals of cutch and gambier imported in 1856 was 8,536 tons. 1857 ” 11,047 ” 1858 ” 11,205 ” 1859 ” 13,762 ” Of this quantity we exported in— 1856—1,031 tons. 1857—1,427 ” 1858— 974 ” 1859—1,809 ” These articles, therefore, make no insignificant item in our East Indian trade, which, valued at the intermediate rate of 15s. and 30s. per cwt., would amount to the sum of £153,375 in 1858. CHAPTER XX. CHEWING THE COON.