so generally used in the South of China as among the Southern Islands, and in the north of China it is a luxury, as the pepper does not grow freely there.  Formerly there was a considerable trade in betel nuts with the Coromandel coast, from whence the natives brought back manufactured goods and other necessaries in return, but this has ceased for some time.  The common price was 20,000 for a dollar.  These nuts are seldom imported into England, though they might be of use as a dye in some manufactures.

The natives of the East chew the fruit of Elate sylvestris, (which is something like a wild plum), in the same manner as the areca nut, with the leaf of the betel pepper and quick lime.

The inner wood furnishes a kind of Catechu or Cutch, which contains much tannin and is a powerful astringent.  It is obtained by the simple process of boiling the heart of the wood for a few hours, when it assumes the appearance and consistency of tar.  It hardens by cooling, and when formed into small squares and dried in the sun is fit for the market.

The produce of Bombay is of uniform texture and of a dark red color.  That of Concan and other parts of India is of chocolate color, and marked inside with red streaks.

The analysis of Sir H. Davy gave the following result:—­

Bombay.          Concan. 
Tannin                             54.5            48.5
Extractive                         34.0            36.5
Mucilage                            6.5             8.0
Insoluble matters, sand, lime, &c.  5.0             7.0
-----           -----
100.            100.

Catechu is in extensive use in India for tanning purposes, and of late years it has entirely superseded madder in the calico works of Europe for dyeing a golden coffee-brown, one pound of catechu being found equivalent to six pounds of madder.

Value of the areca nuts exported from Ceylon to the British Colonies and foreign States in the years named:—­

L.
1839         22,956
1840         23,096
1841         22,428
1842         29,222
1843         27,028
1844         20,978
1845         31,836
1846         34,209
1847         35,723
1848         42,482
1849         31,746
1850         42,907
1851         54,846
1852         52,230

THE POPPY.

OPIUM is the concrete inspissated juice of the white poppy, Papaver somniferum and its varieties, obtained by scratching the capsules and collecting the exuding juice.  The plant has been long known, and is perhaps one of the earliest described.  It is a native of Western Asia and probably also of the South of Europe, but it has been distributed over various countries.

In 1826 the imports of opium into the United Kingdom were 79,829 lbs., of which 28,329 lbs. were consumed in this country.  The imports and consumption in subsequent years are shown by the following figures:—­