many more species of _Cinnamonum_, the
produce of the more eastern states of Asia, and the Islands of the
Eastern Archipelago, all remarkable for their striking family
likeness; all, I believe, endowed with aromatic properties, and
probably the greater part, if not the whole, contributing something
towards the general result, and we at once see the impossibility of
awarding to any one individual species the credit of being the source
whence the _Cassia lignea_ of commerce is derived; and equally the
impropriety of applying to any one of them the comprehensive specific
appellation of cassia, since all sorts of cinnamon-like plants,
yielding bark of a quality unfit to bear the designation of cinnamon
in the market, are passed off as cassia."

The cassia tree, according to Mr. Crawfurd, is found in the more
northern portion of the Indian isles, as in the Philippines,
Majindanao, Sumatra, Borneo, and parts of Celebes. It is also grown on
the western coast of Africa. The principal seat of its culture is,
however, the Malabar coast, and the provinces of Quantong and Kingse,
in China.

The famous cassia of China is incomparably superior in perfume and
flavor to any spice of its class. Its native place is unknown, though
supposed to be the interior provinces of China. The market price is
said to be L5 per lb.

The Malabar sort brought from Bombay is thicker, darker colored, and
coarser than that from China, and is more subject to foul packing. A
small quantity of cassia is brought from Mauritius and Brazil, and a
large amount from the Philippine Islands.

Cassia bark fetches from 80s. to 105s. per cwt. in the London market,
according to quality. The imports appear on the decline. In 1843 and
1844 we imported nearly two millions of pounds. The quantity imported
and retained for home consumption in the past four years are shown in
the following figures:--

Imported. Retained for consumption.
lbs. lbs.
1848 510,247 76,152
1849 472,693 83,500
1850 1,050,008 97,178
1851 267,582 82,467

The cheaper Indian barks, as well as the cinnamon of the East, seemed
at one time to be fast driving out of the market the superior class
cinnamon of Ceylon.

In 1841 Java exported 400 cwts. of cinnamon; and the quantity of
cassia imported into the United Kingdom from India and the Philippine
Islands,