75 tons were imported into Liverpool in 1849; and 120 tons in 1850, from Calcutta. The imports of sappan wood into the United Kingdom, in 1850, amounted to 3,670 tons, worth £8 to £12 the ton, and this continued the price in January 1853.
Camwood, red sanders wood, barwood, and other dye woods, are found in great quantities in many parts of Africa. The dyes of Africa are found to resist both acids and light, properties which no other dyes seem to possess in the same degree. About thirty miles east of Bassia Cove, in the republic of Liberia, is the commencement of a region of unknown extent, where scarcely any tree is seen except the camwood. This boundless forest of wealth, as yet untouched, is easily accessible from that settlement; roads can be opened to it with little expense, and the neighbouring kings would probably give their co-operation to a measure so vastly beneficial to themselves. It is impossible to ascertain the exact amount of export of these commodities to Europe and the United States, but it is very great, and employs a large amount of vessels. One Liverpool house imported 600 tons in a single year, worth £9,000.
In 1841 upwards of 3,000 tons of dye woods were imported into Liverpool from the western coast of Africa.
CAMWOOD (Baphia nitida) is used as a mordant and for producing the bright red color seen in English bandana handkerchiefs. The imports from Sierra Leone to Liverpool in 1849 were 216 tons, worth £20 to £25 per ton.
Gaboon barwood is another variety of this dyewood which is imported from the west coast of Africa, in straight flat pieces, from three to, five feet in length; the average annual import being about 2,000 tons, of the value of £4 a ton.
The imports of barwood into Liverpool were in—
| Tons. | |
| 1835 | 2,000 |
| 1836 | 1,000 |
| 1837 | 1,150 |
| 1838 | 650 |
| 1839 | 350 |
| 1841 | 2,012 |
| 1850 | 1,710 |
| Dyewoods imported in 1850. | Re-exported. | |
| Logwood | 32,930 | 4,332 |
| Fustic | 9,808 | 1,771 |
| Nicaragua | 7,909 | 112 |
| Barwood | 1,896 | 1,229 |
| Sappan | 3,670 | — |
| Green Ebony, and Cocuswood | 1,457 | — |
| Red Sanders | 656 | — |
| Camwood | 416 | — |
| Brazil and Brazillito | 309 | — |
| 59,051 | 7,444 |
Thus we perceive the annual consumption of heavy dyewoods in this country, in dyeing cotton, linen, woollen and silk goods, &c., exceeds in weight 51,000 tons.
ARNOTTO.—The plants of this family are chiefly natives of the warmest parts of South America, the East and West Indies, and Africa. In America the seeds are called achote or roucou. From the port of Barcelona, in Venezuela, about 2,000 quintals are annually exported. The species grown for its dye is the Bixa orellana. It is used to impart a bright orange color to silk goods, and to afford a deeper shade to simple yellows. The dry hard paste is also found to be the best of all ingredients for giving a golden tint to cheese or butter. A convenient liquid preparation is now sold to dairymen. The Spanish Americans mix it with their chocolate, to which it gives a beautiful rich hue.