HONDURAS. 19 



quito Shore, it is a characteristic feature. The trees do not grow closely 

 together, but stand well apart, permitting the mountain grasses to grow 

 beneath and around them, so that a pine forest in the interior more 

 resembles a well-kept park than the thickets to which we are accus- 

 tomed to give the name of forest. The trees grow frequently to great 

 size, but average about twenty inches in diameter. They are rich in 

 pitch, and the wood is firm, heavy, and durable, and the heart is never 

 attacked by insects. It furnishes, therefore, a cheap and convenient 

 timber for all kinds of constructions in the country, as well for bridges 

 as for buildings and for boats. Captain Henderson observes of the 

 Honduras pine; "The timber which it furnishes can scarcely be exceeded 

 in size, and is generally considered, for every necessary purpose, greatly 

 superior to what can be imported from the United States ;" and Strange- 

 ways expresses the conviction that the endless tracts of pine forest on 

 the northern coast will ultimately come to furnish a large supply both 

 of pitch, tar, and timber for the wants of commerce. 



The cedro, or cedar (Cedrela Odorata, L.), ranks next to the pine in 

 the list of common and useful woods. It is found in all the valleys, but 

 more particularly in those of the principal rivers near the coast. It 

 attains the height of seventy or eighty feet, and a diameter of from 

 four to seven feet. It is not attacked by insects, is light and easily 

 worked, as well as ornamental in color and agreeable in smell. For 

 these reasons, it is more extensively used than any other wood in Hon- 

 duras. It is now exported in small, but increasing quantities. Most of 

 the canoes and pitpans of the natives are hollowed from the trunks of 

 the cedro, and are both light and durable, but liable to be split in beach- 

 ing. 



The ceiba, or silk-cotton-tree (Bombax Ceiba, L.), is abundant, and 

 distinguished for its vast size, which leads to its common use for 'bon 

 gos 1 and 'pitpans. 1 I have seen boats, hollowed from a single trunk, 

 which would measure seven feet in 'the clear 1 between the sides. This 

 tree blossoms two or three times a year, when its carnation flowers give 

 a bloom to an entire forest. It produces a pod containing a kind of downy 

 fibre or cotton, which is sometimes used to stuff cushions and pillows, 

 and may possibly be made useful for other purposes. 



The larger of the mahogany trees which grew within easy dis- 

 tance from the Patuca were cut, many years ago, by English and 

 by Scotch compinies. Taey left the other valuable woods al- 

 most untouched. In the long time which has passed since those 

 companies abandoned the field the timber has improved so greatly 

 in size that the ground might be profitably cut over again, even 

 though no other wood than mahogany should be taken. The 



