AMERICA. 



87 



many of them are remarkable for their beauty. One 

 of the finest is the deciduous cypress (Taxodium dis- 

 fic/ift), which attains an enormous size, and is equally 

 remarkable for the graceful form and the delieate tint 

 of its foliage. The tulip tree, the black walnut and 

 many others, are also highly ornamental ; and all the 

 deciduous ones pass through such variety of tints 

 before they finally drop their leaves, that the autumnal 

 decay of an American forest is almost as gay in its 

 hues as the blossom of the spring is with us. 



When the summits of the Stony Mountains are 

 passed in progress towards the shore o the Pacific, 

 the character of the climate again changes, and along 

 with it the vegetation. The Stony Mountains are 

 not one ridge, but a scries of ridges, or a succession 

 of clusters of heights, of considerable breadth on the 

 average of their course, and dividing into two branches 

 as they approach the extreme north. One of these 

 branches reaches the shore of the Arctic Ocean to 

 the left of the embouchure of Mackenzie's River, 

 and the other points to the west, terminating conti- 

 nentally in the peninsula of Alaska ; but contimiin ; 

 submerged to some distance farther, and having it? 

 summits rising above the surface in the islands which 

 lie oft 1 that point. 



These mountains form a complete barrier between 

 the country on the shore of the Pacific, and that 

 toward the Arctic Ocean and the central valley ; and 

 as the set of the current is upon this shore also, 

 generally from the warm latitudes, and Alaska turns 

 any eddy that there might be out to sea, the clhnatc 

 is warmer than in the corresponding latitudes of the 

 centre. The unequal form of the surface, and the 

 vicinity of the sea, cause it also to be more humid ; 

 and these circumstances alter the character, and 

 increase the activity of the vegetation. The herbace- 

 ous plants are there remarkable alike for the statcliness 

 of their forms, and the beauty of their colours ; the 

 shrubs, even the berry-bearing ones, have a gaiety in 

 their blooms, which renders them highly ornamental 

 as shrubbery plants ; and some of the forest trees are 

 the very giants of the vegetable kingdom. Some of the 

 pines, or rather perhaps spruces (they are in fact 

 intermediate between the two), would serve singly 

 for the spire of a cathedral ; and of the cones of 

 others, the seeds are so large, and contain so much 

 farinaceous matter, that the people roast and eat them 

 as a substitute for bread. It appears that though the 

 plants are, generally speaking, of different form and 

 character, there is some sort of analogy between, at 

 least some parts of the west coast of America, be- 

 tween California and Alaska, and the islands of 

 Japan. The climate of Japan is what may be termed 

 a " collected " climate, brought upon many winds and 

 currents of the Pacific, and tempered by its own 

 varied, and in many places elevated, surface. 

 That climate is substantially temperate ; and yet 

 there is a tropical air in the vegetation which it pro- 

 duces. But notwithstanding the tropical beauty of 

 many of the plants, they stand the climate of Europe 

 better than many of the native ones, so that the 

 auniba, and no doubt also the beautiful camellia, by 

 a little management, might grow luxuriantly in the 

 cottage gardens of all the warmer parts of Britain. 

 The same appears to be the case wilh the plants of 

 the west coast of North America, all of them that 

 have been tried, annual or perennial, herbaceous or 

 shrubby, or trees, have grown freely, and multi- 

 plied readily; and there is no doubt that, ere many 



years have elapsed, the majestic pines of those western 

 lands will raise their gigantic pyramids high over the 

 ordinary trees of our forests ; and as their timber is 

 said to be good and durable, as well as rapid in 

 growth, there is reason to hope that they will contri- 

 bute as much to domestic use as to scenic beauty. 



In Mexico, though the deciduous cypress still con- 

 tinues on some of the elevated grounds, and the pines 

 wave their green tops over Orizaba and others of the 

 mountain peaks, giving shade and beauty, and supply- 

 ing timber, the vegetation begins to assume a tropi- 

 cal character. In the sandy and burning plains to- 

 ward the Gulf, the banana, the plantain, and various 

 other fruit-bearing trees, and the yam, the arrow 

 root, the cassava plant, and many others which accu- 

 mulate their substance in bulbs or tubers, together 

 with rice and maize in the stronger and more swampy 

 grounds, afford an abundance of food with compara- 

 tively little labour of cultivation. Pine apples of 

 various sorts grow wild in the woods ; and not the 

 least characteristic or useful plant, is the American 

 aloe (See AGAVE) which sends up its spike of many 

 flowers to the height of more than twenty feet, and 

 which in connected rows forms a hedge which no 

 animal can penetrate. It serves the people of the 

 country as a substitute for the vine ; as the sugar maple 

 in the northern parts answers as a substitute for the 

 sugar cane. They scoop out the heart of the plant 

 just as it is preparing to send up the flowering stem ; 

 and the bottom which is left forms a large cup, in which 

 the substance of the plant accumulates in several 

 gallons of sap from a single individual. That sap is 

 fermented into the common pulque, or drink of the 

 country, which is in very general use all over 

 Mexico ; and the pulque may also be distilled into a 

 spirituous intoxicating liquor, to which the name of 

 vino mercal is given. 



The country on the coast of the Caribbean Sea to 

 the southward of the Gulf of Mexico, and the west- 

 ward of Cuba and Jamaica, is remarkable for the 

 closeness of its forests, the violence of its rain-storms 

 at certain times of the year, the quantity of water 

 which stagnates on the low grounds, and the extreme 

 fertility, but, at the same time, the pestilent character 

 of its climate. From that part of America the greatest 

 quantity and largest size of the mahogany of com- 

 merce is obtained, though, as it grows in close forests 

 and upon soft and swampy soils, it is inferior to that 

 of Cuba or the other West India islands from which 

 any is still obtained or obtainable. Along with ma- 

 hogany the same forests yield lignum vitue, and many 

 woods which, as their colouring matters can be fast- 

 ened upon stuffs, are of much use in dyeing. On the 

 other side of the central ridge in this part of the 

 country is situated the country of Guatemala, which 

 was once so celebrated both for the quality and the 

 quantity of its indigo. 



Passing the isthmus of Panama southward, we 

 come to a country in many respects new in the cha- 

 racters of its vegetation. Here are the same esculent 

 plants as in the hot plains of Mexico ; but as the soil 

 is in many places rich, and the surface much diver- 

 sified, the plants and trees arc so numerous, that A 

 mere list of them would occupy a considerable space. 

 The ehocolalc-tree (Theobroma), the nopal (Cactus 

 opuntia), upon which the cochineal insects, which yield 

 the finest scarlet dye, are fed ; and the various spe- 

 cies, the juice of which forms caoutchouc, or India 

 rubber, are among the most curious ; but the last 



