234
WILLIAM MACNAE
monsoons to the Indian coasts between 2000 and 3000 B.C. These men
passed their secrets to their Arab neighbours and to the Dravidians and
Gujerats of southern India (Hawkes and Woolley, 1963).
But mangrove timber would have to be replaced quite quickly, for
it is very susceptible to attack by ship worms. This led to a search for
other and more resistant timbers, and for this Malabar teak came into
use. So the first timber to be used would pass into oblivion.
On the other hand, out of water the timber of several species of
mangrove has been found resistant to the attacks of termites. This has
led to its use in the houses built in many parts of East Africa and
Arabia, in areas under Arab influence. Rawlins, in a report submitbed
to a Government Department in Kenya, showed the importance of this
use in Arab architecture. For centuries Arab dhows have been plying
between Arabia, particularly the Oman coast, and the estuaries of East
Africa. Near these they established towns, Lamu, Gedi, Zanzibar,
Kilwa, Ibo, and farthest south of all, Sofala. Most of these are now
deserted. The essential purpose of the trade with East Africa was the
collection of timber-gold and slaves were added luxuries. The timber
was in the form of mangrove poles, chiefly of Rhizophora mucronata and
Bruguiera gymnorhixa, both of which give clean trunks some 5 m long
and averaging 10-15 cm in diameter at the base. In use such poles
were laid across the walls to form the ceiling of one room, the interstices
were filled in with rubble and plastered with mud to form the floor of the
room above. This process would be continued until several storeys had
been built. The mangrove pole, then, was the basis of the skyscrapers
of Arabian towns.
Apart from this, mangrove trees have not been much sought after
for use as building timber. Some of the trees of thc landward fringes
have at times been in demand for structural and for decorative use.
Much of down-town Singapore is built on piles of mangrove trees,
chiefly rhizophoras. These are durable so long as they are completely
buried and cut off from access by ship worms. Large trunks of Sonneratia gri$ithii have been used as posts on quays and piers. They are
resistant to ship worms but, as a result of the high salt content of the
timber, iron spikes, nails and bolts are corroded. Trunks of Lunznitzera
littorea have been in use for this purpose for periods ranging from
twenty years in Banka to fifty years in Riouw and were still sound
(Watson, 1928). This species has also a timber useful in cabinet work,
where it is classed as a rosewood. Large, well-grown specimens of this
tree are rare today. Xylocarpus moluccense also produces an attractive
timber resembling mahogany. X . granatum is almost always too knotty
and gnarled and, since large trees go hollow it has no value as timber.
WILLIAM MACNAE
monsoons to the Indian coasts between 2000 and 3000 B.C. These men
passed their secrets to their Arab neighbours and to the Dravidians and
Gujerats of southern India (Hawkes and Woolley, 1963).
But mangrove timber would have to be replaced quite quickly, for
it is very susceptible to attack by ship worms. This led to a search for
other and more resistant timbers, and for this Malabar teak came into
use. So the first timber to be used would pass into oblivion.
On the other hand, out of water the timber of several species of
mangrove has been found resistant to the attacks of termites. This has
led to its use in the houses built in many parts of East Africa and
Arabia, in areas under Arab influence. Rawlins, in a report submitbed
to a Government Department in Kenya, showed the importance of this
use in Arab architecture. For centuries Arab dhows have been plying
between Arabia, particularly the Oman coast, and the estuaries of East
Africa. Near these they established towns, Lamu, Gedi, Zanzibar,
Kilwa, Ibo, and farthest south of all, Sofala. Most of these are now
deserted. The essential purpose of the trade with East Africa was the
collection of timber-gold and slaves were added luxuries. The timber
was in the form of mangrove poles, chiefly of Rhizophora mucronata and
Bruguiera gymnorhixa, both of which give clean trunks some 5 m long
and averaging 10-15 cm in diameter at the base. In use such poles
were laid across the walls to form the ceiling of one room, the interstices
were filled in with rubble and plastered with mud to form the floor of the
room above. This process would be continued until several storeys had
been built. The mangrove pole, then, was the basis of the skyscrapers
of Arabian towns.
Apart from this, mangrove trees have not been much sought after
for use as building timber. Some of the trees of thc landward fringes
have at times been in demand for structural and for decorative use.
Much of down-town Singapore is built on piles of mangrove trees,
chiefly rhizophoras. These are durable so long as they are completely
buried and cut off from access by ship worms. Large trunks of Sonneratia gri$ithii have been used as posts on quays and piers. They are
resistant to ship worms but, as a result of the high salt content of the
timber, iron spikes, nails and bolts are corroded. Trunks of Lunznitzera
littorea have been in use for this purpose for periods ranging from
twenty years in Banka to fifty years in Riouw and were still sound
(Watson, 1928). This species has also a timber useful in cabinet work,
where it is classed as a rosewood. Large, well-grown specimens of this
tree are rare today. Xylocarpus moluccense also produces an attractive
timber resembling mahogany. X . granatum is almost always too knotty
and gnarled and, since large trees go hollow it has no value as timber.