TALLOW-TREE. MANCHINEEL. 223 



useful purposes, especially in making elastic cloth 

 and cordage. 



The Tallow-tree, the Castor oil plant, or Palma 

 Christi, and the Manchineel tree, belong to the 

 class Monoecia. 



The Tallow-tree, Stillin'gia sebif era, is remark- 

 able for the quantity and peculiar nature of the 

 oil obtained from its berries ; which so nearly re- 

 sembles wax or spermaceti, that candles are made 

 of it ; but they produce a very disagreeable smell 

 in burning. The tree is a native of China. 

 Castor oil is obtained from the seeds of the Ric'i- 

 nus * commu / nis, which are dried in the sun when 

 ripe, pounded in wooden mortars, and then boiled 

 in water. The oil rises to the surface of the water, 

 and is skimmed off and put into jars for use. In 

 this country it is employed only as a medicine ; 

 but in the West Indies the planters burn it in 

 lamps, and apply it to various other purposes. 

 The seeds themselves of the Ric'inus commu'nis 

 are an extremely powerful medicine. 



The Manchineel, Hippom'ane Mancinel'la, is a 

 very large West Indian tree, the wood of which 

 is beautifully clouded, takes a fine polish, and is 

 very durable. The Indians are said to poison 

 their arrows with its juice, which is so very corro- 

 sive, that the wood-cutters make a fire round the 

 tree before they cut it down, to cause the juice to 

 * In this word the c is pronounced soft, like s. 



