55 



as soap, and raises a considerable lather with cold water. The second, 

 used for similar purposes, also from New Grenada, is the dried berry of 

 Sapindus saponaria (Natural Order SapindacecB) . The third is the 

 fibrous bark of a tree, the name of which is at present unknown in 

 Manilla ; probably it is Mimosa ahstergens ; it bears the name of Go- 

 go, and is very likely the same material as that mentioned by Dr. Royle, 

 under the name of Go-goo, one of the fibrous substances of India. It 

 forms a profuse lather with water, and is much esteemed by the ladies 

 of Manilla for cleaning their hair, which is usually of great beauty and 

 luxuriance. 



The next series to which I shaU call your attention is one consisting 

 of five cryptogamic plants, one fungus, two lichens, and two algae. 

 The first is a fungus, which, under a native name, whose signification 

 is mouse-ears, forms an article of food amongst the superior classes of 

 China and Manilla : the Chinese obtain it from the latter place. It is 

 Exidia auricula- judm. Next in turn, I have two lichens which, though 

 not new, are rare in this port. They are used in manufacturing the 

 beautiful purple dye called archil. The first is Rocella fiiciformis, or 

 Madeira orchella, from Madeira. The second is Lecanora tartarea, or 

 the rock moss of the dyers ; it is imported from Lisbon, and is probably 

 collected on the Cape de Verde Islands. 



The two algae are interesting in consequence of various discussions 

 to which they have given rise amongst the pharmacologists ; they also 

 afford a particular illustration of what I remarked concerning the diffi- 

 culties in the way of verifying statements respecting the origin aiid 

 identity of economic products. Thus Pereira, Royle, and others, have 

 described agal-agal under the names of Plocaria Candida and Ceylon 

 moss ; Dr. O'Shaughnessyand others have called it aFucus (F. spinosusj; 

 and very various analyses have been given, — some of the formulae indi- 

 cating a plant containing an abundance of jeUy, and no appreciable 

 amount of starch ; others, on the contrary, exhibiting an enormous 

 proportion of starch, and no jelly. I have, however, been able to prove 

 that the native names, agal-agal, agar-agar, agar-carang, and the com- 

 mercial name, Ceylon moss, are applied to two fuci, each possessing 

 peculiar characters. 



Tims, the true agar-agar, or agal-agal, is Fucus spinosus, and con- 

 tains probably more jelly than any known plant. So great is the 

 quantity that it is often washed to remove the salt, then soaked until 

 it becomes much swollen, and afterwards preserved in sugar as a sweet- 

 meat. The agar, or agal carang, Ceylon moss, is Plocaria Candida, a 

 fucus of very dilTercnt character, having terete brandies free from the 



