120 CAMPS IN THE CARIBBEES. 



often done far in the mountains, and the hollowed 

 log must be dragged, with great labor, to the shore. 

 There it is placed in the shade and filled with water, 

 to open it ; a strip is nailed along the top for a gun- 

 wale, knees put in to strengthen it ; it is finished 

 smoothly with the axe, and then makes a strong, 

 buoyant boat, which floats lightly on the water, and 

 rides gracefully heavy seas. In such a boat the an- 

 cient Caribs made war excursions of more than three 

 hundred miles. From the bark of this valuable tree 

 exudes a gum that burns freely and with such grateful 

 odor that it is used in the Romish churches as incense. 

 This gum is wrapped in bark in an ingenious manner 

 by the Indians, and made into torches, ox flambeaux, 

 three feet long, which are used by hunters and fisher- 

 men at night. Hence the tree is also known as the 

 " flambeau tree." 



Another very useful tree is the " bois de bonte" the 

 young saplings of which are used in making the 

 ajoupa, or hut. It is tall, of lesser height than the 

 gommier, with fine ovate leaves. Upon the seeds of 

 this tree, also, the parrots feed, and its abundance here 

 induced my boys to select this site for our forest camp. 

 But the most interesting thing about it is the property 

 of the bark, which, when steeped in tea or in rum, has 

 a warming effect upon the human system, and has 

 probably some medicinal qualities. Winding among 

 the branches of this tree are those of another called 

 " bois diable" or devil's wood ; it is much used in 

 making charcoal and flambeaux. 



They returned from the spring after a long absence, 

 with the calabash and a section of bamboo full of 

 water. Meyong started a fire with a flake of gom- 



