838 JAMAICA. 



lovely tint, and richly veined; but not In lifts like the pigeon wood: 

 the latter nuich better correfponds with the zebra fkln In the dlfpofi- 

 tlon of its ftripes, and the other leems to have the nearer refemblance in 

 its general colouring and ground. Both of them are exceedingly ele- 

 gant, and would probably give the beft effedt by a \^i?ll-fancled inter- 

 mixture on fineered work. 



236. Smooth Acacia, or Ca.shaw Acac'ui I'el m'lviofa fruti- 



cofa, inermis, diffuja major ^jiorejiavo odoratijfimo. 



This tree grows to a large fize, and is found in great abundance in 

 the neighbourhood of Paffage Fort, and the Bridge River in St. 

 Dorothy. It Is luxuriant, and fpreadlng. It is efteemed a good tim- 

 ber wood, and uled for building fmall craft, and wharf piles, on ac- 

 count of its being off^nfive to the worm, tough, and lafting. 



The w^ood is of a firm grain, beautiful brown colour, very glofly 

 when pollflied, and though it ft:lnks worfe than ajj'afaiida when firil 

 cut, it acquires, by keeping, a perfume, or agreeable odour, very iimi- 

 lar to that of the rofe-wood. It feems to be largely impregnated with 

 a refin, which probably is not without fome valuable quality. Both 

 the bark and roots of this tree afford a red dye, at prefent unat- 

 i tended to. 



237. Manchineel. — Hippomane arbjreum laSlefcem. Browne, 351^ 



This tree feems peculiar to the lowlands, and is rarely found at 

 any confider.ible diftance from the lea. The wood makes very 

 hnndlome furniture, refembling in appearance the Englifli oak, or 

 wainfcot ; but takes a finer polifh. The hewers ufually make a 

 fire round the root, and burn lome depth into the trunk, before they 

 venture to cut it. The fire is fuffered to prey upon It till very little 

 remains to be done by the axe. The lawyers and carpenters, who 

 work it up, generally cover their mouths and noftrils with crape, in 

 order to exclude the finer particles from getting down their throats. 

 Upon enquiry among the Negroes, I could not learn that they fuf- 

 fered any inconvenience from drops of the juice, which were ac- 

 cidentally fj)urtcd upon their fkin whilft they were employed in 

 felling the trunk, or hacking off the limbs: but they informed me, 

 that, if any chanced to flic into their eye, it would give them a fe- 



verc 



