S40 Dr Hancock 071 Resinous and Balsamic 



Two intelligent Indians of the Mandavac tribe, from the 

 Rio Negro, informed me, that carana is the Mandavac name 

 for the gum before spoken of, and that the tree is there called 

 Waia-waia; that the Hyowa tree and its gum is there called 

 Mana; and that Mani is their name both for the tree and gum 

 which we know by the same name. 



Simiri. 



This is the resin of the Hymenea Courbaril, the produce of 

 the colony of Demerara upon the high lands. 



This substance might probably, by drawing it in a bottle, 

 be maintained in a fluid state, so as to be ready at any time 

 for application as a varnish. 



I find that it is insoluble in oils both fixed and volatile, in 

 alcohol, and not at all acted on by the alkalies, not even when 

 they are boiled upon it. — Is it not, then, improperly deno- 

 minated a resin ? The reverse of this, or solubility in these 

 substances, constitutes the chief distinguishing character of 

 the resins. It seems to possess more of the characters of the 

 amber than of any thing else. Its fracture is conchoidal like 

 that of amber. It would be interesting to know whether any 

 thing analogous to the succinic acid or oil could be obtained 

 from it. It appears to possess the hardness and lustre of am- 

 ber ; and it might answer equally well for the manufacture of 

 ornaments. Both these substances burn with the same aro- 

 matic odour and they leave a similar coal. Amber indeed is 

 said, by chemical writers, to be soluble in the alkalies. This, 

 I apprehend, is not strictly correct, as simiri is not so, al- 

 though assisted by heat, as before observed, whilst both readily 

 dissolve common resin, which Mr Brande says is a perfect 

 example of resin. It must have been its resinous appearance 

 more than its chemical properties which has given to copal 

 or the simiri a place amongst the resins. 



Ducali. 



This milky substance is produced very abundantly on making 

 an incision in the tree called by the Arawaks Ducali. 



The tree grows very large, and is plentiful in the vicinity 

 of the coast in sandy soils. 



