316 On the Hya-hya, or Milk-Tree of' Dcinerara. 



powerfully affected by his description of the Palo de Vaca or 

 Cow-tree. Such at least I confess was my case to an extra- 

 ordinary degree. I have journeyed through the country laid 

 down as that where the cow plant grows, but particular circum- 

 stances prevented me at the time from seeing it. 



In a late excursion, however, up the river Demerara, it was my 

 good fortune to fall in, certainly not with the same kind of tree, 

 but with one possessing the mild milky qualities ascribed by Hum- 

 boldt to the Palo de Vaca. The tree I allude to was fortunately 

 at the time coming into flower, two specimens of which, together 

 with the wood and bark, and a small bottle of the milk, I for- 

 ward along with this, and beg to have them subjected to your 

 own, as well as the examination of your scientific friends*. 



The manner of my discovering the tree was simply this : 

 Among the various productions I had been in the constant habit 

 of inquiring for in the forests, were those trees which yielded 

 milky juices in any abundance, as their saps; and, at different 

 times, I had been led by my Indian guides to a vast variety, 

 all of which, however, had more or less acrid and deleterious 

 principles with the lactescent quality. On the excursion to 

 which I allude, however, I chanced to stop at the little Indian 

 settlement of Byaxoadannij, just below the first rapids of the 

 Demerara, and there I was told of a tree called by the Indians 

 Hya-hya, the milk of which was both drinkable and nutritious. 



I was then in company with a Mr Couchman, the superin- 

 tendant of a wood-cutting establishment in the immediate vici- 

 nity. We had sent a lad to search around for the tree, and he 

 returned in a short time to tell us he had met with it. We fol- 

 lowed him to the spot, and found that he had felled the tree. 

 It had fallen across a little rivulet, the water of which when we 

 arrived, was completely whitened from its juice. On striking a 

 knife into the bark, a copious stream of milk-like fluid imme- 

 diately followed. Our guide drank of it, and Mr Couchman 

 and myself tasted it after him. It was thicker and richer than 

 cow's milk, and destitute of all acrimony, leaving only a slight 

 feeling of clamminess on the lips. I had already seen that it 



" The specimens reached me, but only lately, in safety. The milk is now 

 under examination, and a report on its chemical properties will appear in this 

 or next Number of Journal.— Edit. 



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