1663 S. Pepys Diary 2 Mar. (1971) IV. 64 Then to the Ropeyard and saw a trial between Riga hemp and a sort of Indian grasse.

1681 T. Firmin Some Proposals Imploym. Poor 18 For Riga Hemp at this time, I pay twenty shillings a hundred, which is very low.

1701 R. Crosfeild Corrupt Ministers 20 The Rope-maker did assure him they [sc. the ropes] were made of right Riga Hemp.

1765 Museum Rusticum 4 xxiii. 108 I have seen very good hemp, the growth of that country [sc. North America], not inferior to the best Riga ryne.

1786 J. Trusler London Adviser & Guide 98 Narva and Riga Hemp, the bundle, 6d.

1840 Civil Engineer & Architect's Jrnl. 3 128/1 The fixtures are of riga oak.

1842 J. Gwilt Encycl. Archit. ii. ii. 484 Red Riga deal, or pine wood, would endure as long as oak in all situations.

1870 R. Bentley Man. Bot. (ed. 2) ii. iii. 662 P[inus] sylvestris, the Scotch Fir, which yields the timber known as Dantzic or Riga Fir.

1902 G. S. Boulger Wood ii. 257 Riga Oak..only comes to market in wainscot logs of moderate dimensions, for furniture or veneers.

1906 E. P. Stebbing Notes Visit European Schools Forestry 49 The pine wood exported from Riga is known in the trade as ‘Riga pine’ owing to its excellence.

1977 P. O'Brian Mauritius Command i. 25 Buonaparte had all the forests of Europe at his command, splendid Dalmatian oak, tall northern spars, best Riga hemp.

1992 P. Galloway Cathedrals of Ireland 163/1 A throne and prebendal stalls made of Riga oak were added.

2007 D. Eckstein & S. Wrobel in K. Haneca et al. TRACE: Proc. Dendrosymposium 2006 13 Western European countries imported timber which is described in documents as ‘righolt’ (in English ‘Riga timber’) from the area of present-day Latvia; in particular, so-called Riga-pine was used for ship masts.

1793 J. Latta Pract. Syst. Surg. I. xvii. 454 In affections of this kind I have frequently, with the utmost success, washed the nipple with a little Riga balsam, dressing the part afterwards.

1849 J. H. Balfour Man. Bot. §932 Benzoin..exists also in other empirical remedies, such as Riga balsam.

1881 Pharm. Jrnl. & Trans. 11 381/2 At one time, certainly, an opinion did exist that the preparation called Riga balsam had remarkable medicinal virtues.

1900 A. B. Lyons Plant Names 291 Exudate [of Pinus cembra] is Riga balsam or Carpathian balsam.

1974 Amer. Hist. Rev. 79 1555/2 Students of medical history might ponder the efficacy of such remedies as Seidlitz powders, riga balsam, Carlsbad waters, and homeopathic medicine.

1986 R. W. Apple Apple's Europe xi. 244 If you have acquired the habit of drinking aquavit, the fiery caraway-flavored schnapps, have one with a dash of Riga balsam bitters in it.

1851 Jrnl. Royal Geogr. Soc. 21 175 Súkumba, light loose garment thrown over the riga.

1932 J. Cary Aissa Saved liii. 287 God, in a white riga and a new indigo turban.

1973 J. J. McKelvey Man against Tsetse iii. 171 A flowing yellow riga Nigerian style over a brown business suit.

1977 P. Newman et al. Mod. Hausa–Eng. Dict. 100/1 The riga, worn over a shirt and trousers, is the standard attire in much of West Africa.

1999 J. Perani & N. H. Wolff Cloth, Dress & Art Patronage in Afr. v. 124 The girke gown is distinguished from the riga by inserted gussets of cloth, causing the hem to flare out.