S. Gazetteer of Philippine Islands_). Blanco says
that this tree is much esteemed for carriage-wheels, and is also used
for topmasts and keels. The Indians call it guiso, but the Spaniards
have corruptly called it guijo. It is common in Mindoro.
[40] Probably the lauan (also called lauaan and sandana; _Dipterocarpus
thurifera_--Linn.), a reddish white or ashy wood with brown spots,
used chiefly in the construction of canoes, and producing logs 75 feet
long by 24 inches square (_U.S. Gazetteer_). Blanco says that this
tree yields a fragrant, hard, white resin, which is used instead of
incense in the churches. San Agustin, quoted by Blanco, says that the
planks of the sides of the ancient galleys were of lauaan, for balls
do not chip this wood. Delgado mentions two species: lauaan mulato,
in color almost dark red; and lauaan blanco (white), which was used
as planking for boats.
[41] That is, the cubit; a measure of length equal to the distance
from the elbow to the end of the middle finger. The _codo real_,
or royal cubit, is three fingers longer than the ordinary codo. The
geometrical codo is equivalent to 418 mm., and the codo real to 574
mm. See Velasquez: _New Dictionary of Spanish language_ (New York,
1902).
[42] The banaba (_Lagerstroemia speciosa_--Pers.; _Munchausia speciosa;
Lagerstroemia flos reginae_--Retz.) grows to a height of thirty to
fifty feet, and varies in color from reddish white to dull red.
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