30 Large Tree in Mexico. 



Art. XII. Account of a very large Tree in Mexico. Communi- 

 cated by James Mease, Esq. M.D. " 



Sir, 

 In the year 1827, the American minister to Mexico, J. R. 

 Poinsett, sent to the American Philosophical Society of Phil- 

 adelphia a cord, which he said " was brought to him from 

 Oaxaca, as the exact measure of the circumference of a cy- 

 press tree growing in the vicinity of that city. The person 

 who measured the tree is one whose word may be relied on ; 

 and he assured Mr. Poinsett that he stretched the cord as tight 

 as it could be drawn round the body of the tree." The great 

 length of the cord naturally excited suspicions as to the ac- 

 curacy of the measurement ; and Mr. Vaughan, our librarian, 

 by order of the Society, requested Mr. Poinsett to enquire fur- 

 ther into the subject. In another letter to Mr. Vaughan, of 

 Sept. 6. 1827, Mr. Poinsett writes : " As you seem somewhat 

 sceptical about the size of the cypress tree, I addressed a 

 note to an English gentleman lately returned from Oaxaca, 

 and now enclose you his reply. The reply is as follows : — 



" Mexico, Sept. 5. 1827. 



" My dear Sir, — In compliance with your request, I pro- 

 ceed to give you the result of my visit to, and examination of, 

 the enormous cypress tree in Oaxaca, which has so much ex- 

 cited the surprise and astonishment of travellers. 



" The tree is situated in the churchyard of Santa Maria de 

 Tesla, 2J leagues west of Oaxaca, on the road to Guatemala 

 per Tehnantepec ; and there are five or six other enormous 

 trees of the same class surrounding the church, equal in size 

 to the largest trees of the like class now growing in Chapul- 

 tepec or Xmiquilpan, in the state of Mexico ; but the tree 

 above referred to, standing within the walls surrounding the 

 church of Santa Maria, is the tree that, from its enormous 

 bulk, excites the wonder of all who have seen it : it is called 

 by the natives Sahino. During the month of May last I 

 breakfasted under it, and measured the circumference by the 

 cord or lasso of my horse I had then with me. It required 

 five lengths of the lasso and about one half vara more to com- 

 plete its span. Upon my return to Oaxaca, I measured the 

 length of my lasso, which was exactly 9 varas ; so that I esti- 

 mate the circumference to be 46 varas of fair measurement, as 

 I made allowance (with my servant, who assisted me in span- 

 ning the tree) for the protuberances in many parts thereof. 

 The largest tree in Chapultepec is about 1 7 varas in girth ; 

 and the remainder of the trees of the same class in Santa 



