BOOK III. G H A P. VIM. -j^- 



the wood bears expofure to the weather for many years ; it h alio 

 formed into laths for roofs, curing- pots, and hogfhead heading. The 

 leaves when young and tender arc very mucilaginous, and lK>iIed by 

 the Negroes as greens, in their pots. The pods are pyrlforin, upwards 

 of fix inches long, and proportionably thick in the biggeft part, taper- 

 ing towards the pedicle like the pear kind. This fruit when ripe burftj 

 open in five divifions, and lliews a dark cotton, of a foft filky texture, 

 inclofing a^numbcr of roundifli feeds. It has been luppofed that this 

 fiibftance might be rendered ufeful in the hat manufadure. It is fomc- 

 times uied for fluffing pillow-cafes, and feems to poffefs the elafticity 

 of the eider-down, as loon as it Is impregnated with the warmth of the 

 body J but it is thought unwholefome for Weft India beds, as it is apt 

 to excite too ftrong a perfpiration ; it might probably anfwer better for 

 winter coverlids in Great Britain. Whether it has a fufficient ftaple lo 

 be mixed to any advantage in fabrics of the loom, experiment muft 

 determine. 



The larger canoes are generally fold for 50/. to 60/,, and the fmal- 

 Icr 10/. to 30/., Jamaica money. Thofe of largeft fize are called 

 petiagiias. 



When the tree decays, It becomes a neft for the macaca beetle, 

 whofe caterpillar, gutted, and fried. Is efteemed by many perfons one 

 'of the p-rcateft delicacies in the world. 



The bark of the root has been fometimes ufed with iuccefs as a vul- 

 nerary and fub-aftrlngent; and the feeds are adminiftered in emullions, 

 and perioral Infufions. 



The down-tree Is another fpecles, and varying in many refpeds, not 

 exceeding 30 feet in height, and having large Iprcading, roundifli, fcal- 

 loped leaves, growing at the extremity of very long foot ftalks. The 

 pod is likewlfe dift'erently formed, being longer, larger, blackllh, com- 

 prefled, and channeled longitudinally; producing a cotton of much 

 better ftaple, which has been ufed for fluffing beds and mattraffes, and 

 feems well adapted to the loom. They are probably from the South 

 American continent, for they are not common In Jamaica. They are 

 found at Oake's plantation In Clarendon, on the binks of the river Pin- 

 dar, and fome other parts; and might eafily be propagated from the feeds. 

 If the fpecles is the fame as that of the Spanifh continent, it is certainly 

 capable of being manufadured ; fince the Indiana fpin and work the cot- 



VoL. III. 5 B ton 



