SCHOPF AMERICAN TRAVELS. 



of the trees of these islands are low and mean looking, there are found 

 nevertheless on some of the larger islands strong, high trunks. Every 

 man can fell wood as it pleases him and wherever he finds it ; and this 

 is a considerable source of gain to most of the families here resident, 

 who keep their negroes constantly employed in this way, and send them 

 hither and yon on the business. One is puzzled to see most of the 

 white inhabitants of Providence living well and yet going about in 

 idleness ; but they live by the sweat of their slaves. Wood-cutting is 

 gradually becoming more difficult and less lucrative. On the islands 

 lying next Providence the best wood is always cut off, and thus there 

 must be recourse to islands lying farther away, or the woods must be 

 more deeply gone into ; in either case the expedition of the wood felled 

 is made more burdensome. Besides, those who have cut wood in this 

 way, unless they own their vessels and boats, must lose in getting 

 die wood to Providence for marketing; for the charge for freight is 

 according to circumstances Ys-Yi of the wood. 



Mahogany is what they look for and cut oftenest. But the Ba- 

 hama islands yield no such large, thick trunks as do others of the West 

 Indies, especially Cuba, whence boards of good length and breadth are 

 fetched. The logs taken from Providence are better adapted for 

 pillars, frames, and other less important work. The mahogany wood 

 which is sent to Europe from this and the other West Indian islands 

 does by no means come from one and the same variety of tree. Be- 

 sides the Szi'icteiiia Mahogany L.^, several kinds of Mimosa and per- 

 haps other related trees are marketed under this name. Thus it hap- 

 pens that so many different sorts of mahogany wood are found in 

 merchants' warehouses and in artists' work-rooms. An uncommon sort 

 is called here, from its color and coarse wood-fibre, the "Horse-flesh 

 Mahogany." Another kind, paler in color, is the so-called Madeira 

 wood, biit this also passes in Europe for mahogany. This is more 

 easily workable, and comes from the Ccdrcla odorata L. In the woods 

 near the town we were shown several species of trees, under the name 

 of mahogany, but none of them was the Swietenia, which, it seems, 

 is hardly to be found any longer in the neighborhood. In the W^est 

 Indies much mahogany is used in ship-building. At the time, a brig 

 was lying here on the stocks, of which the lower part was made en- 

 tirely of mahogany. Mahogany lasts longer in the water than any other 

 woof!, and 'it is not readily attacked by worms; but from its heavier 

 weipjit it may be used only for the lower part of ships, the ujiper part 

 having to be of a lighter timber. Mahogany logs sink of themselves 

 in salt water. 



The next species of wood which is cut and exported in considerable 

 quantity is Brasiletto (Cacsalpiiia brasilciisis L.)^ Its trunks arc 

 small, unsightly, and for the most part crooked. This wood does not 

 grow at all in Carolina, appearing first in the West Indies ; it may 

 possibly be found on the point of Florida as well. Catesby has been 



* Catesby, Carol. II, p. 8i. t. 8i. 



t Pseudo Santalum croceum. Catesb., Carol. II, t. 51. 



34 



