MANNA TREES. 319 



try, " Bungee") Goulburn Plains, the residence 

 of Mr. Bradley ; and although the days previous 

 had been sultry and oppressive, this was so cold 

 as to make it agreeable to see a large wood-fire 

 blazing on the parlour hearth, giving the close 

 of day the appearance of a Christmas-eve at 

 home, although in this country it was the height 

 of the summer season ; but such atmospherical 

 changes occasionally take place in the colony. 



The elegant drooping manna-trees (^Euca- 

 lyptus mannifera) were numerous, and at this 

 season secreted the peculiar saccharine mucila- 

 ginous substance called manna, which, in greater 

 or less quantities, was lying upon the ground 

 beneath them, or upon their leaves, trunks, and 

 branches, in small white flakes, resembling bits 

 of starch. The taste of this secretion is sweet 

 and mucilaginous, having a greater or less ape- 

 rient eff'ect on different individuals ; it is quite a 

 sweetmeat, and seems to consist of mucilage, 

 sugar, and probably some magnesia : although it 

 readily acts as an aperient on some persons, upon 

 others it produces no effect ; it does not dissolve 

 in thok sun, but, on the contrary, becomes dryer 

 and of harder consistence, by exposure ; rain 

 dissolves it, but more secretion of it takes place 

 after wet than during a continuance of dry 

 weather. Many of the colonists supposed the 



