A VOYAGE TO Book L 



CBAP. VI. 



Defer ipt ion of the Country, and of the Trees' aiid 

 Vegetables in the 'Neighbourhood of Carthagena. 



THE country about Carthagena is fo luxuriant, 

 that it is impoiiible to view without admira- 

 tion the rich and perpetual verdure of the woods, 

 and plants it naturally produces. But thele are ad- 

 vantages of which tlie natives make little ufe; their 

 innate floth and indolence not allowing them to cul- 

 tivate the Ldfts of nature, which feem to have been 

 dealt out with a lavifa hand. The interwoven 

 branches of the trees form a ílielíer impenetrable 

 both to heat and light. 



The trees here are large and lofty, their variety 

 admirable, and entirely diiierent fromthoie of Europe. 

 The principal of thefe for dlmenñons are, the ca )bo 

 or acajou, the cedar, the maria, and the ballam tree. 

 Of the íiríl are made the canoes and champanes ufed 

 for filTiing, and the coaft and river trade, within the 

 jurifdiilion of this government. Thefe trees pro- 

 duce no eatable fruit ; but their wood is corapa<5l, 

 fragrant, and beautiful. The cedar is of two kinds, 

 white and reddiih ; but the laft mofi efteemed. The 

 maria and the balfam trees, beiides the uiefulnefs of 

 their timber, diiril thofe admirable balfams called 

 maria oil, and ballam of Tolu, fo called from a village 

 in the neighbourhood of which it is found in the 

 greatcft quantity, and of a peculiar excellency. 



Besidls thefe trees, here are alio the tamarind, the 

 medlar, the fapote, the papayo, the guayabo, the 

 cannafifiulo or caiiia, the palm, the manzanillo, and 

 fevcral others, rnoil of them producing a wholeforae 

 and palatable fruit, with a durable and variegated 

 wood. The manzanillo is particularly remarkable ; 

 its name is derived from the Spaniili word mancan, 



an 



