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A fascination with teak
Teak continues to fascinate my readers. Naturalist Theodore Baskaran tells me that teak is indigenous to South India and has "flourished in the Western Ghats for millennia." He says the word 'teak' derives from the Tamil thekku, references to which have been found in ancient Tamil literature. He cites two works: Agananooru, song 143 verse 5, and Perumpanatruppadai, song 104. Baskaran adds that teak grows from southernmost India to close to the Vindhyas, where the sal tree takes over. This is referred to "as the Sal Line by plant biologists." South of this line, Baskaran tells me, is found the Red Jungle Fowl, the ancestor of the domestic fowl, while north of the Sal Line you get the Grey Jungle Fowl.
Reader K.R.A. Narasiah, who is working on a history of Madras in Tamil, writes to say he came across this reference to teak predating the Nilambur plantation (Miscellany, September 19). The Council of Fort St. George reported to England that "a proposal to promote the timber trade in the Godavari was considered impracticable." The Council's letter stated, "Fort St. George to the Company.
'Mr. Thomas Parkinson, formerly private Secretary to General Joseph Smith, and whom you permitted to return to India in 1785, addressed us a Letter in regard to the situation of the Fort and River of Bandermalanka, and the advantage of encouraging the Trade in Teak Timber, and clearing the Woods bordering on the Godavery which supply this article…, and requesting that we would appoint him to be the Superintendent of the Fort of Bandermalanka and the woods of the Rajamandry circar….' (P to Eng. Vol. xxxi, 17th July 1787).
The matter was referred to the Chief and Council of Masulipatam, who were not in favour of the scheme, remarking that the teak forests were in Bhadrachalam country "outside the Company's territory."
S. MUTHIAH
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