342 ulloa's voyage to south abierica. 



cedar, the maria, and the balfam tree. Of the firft are made the canoes and cham- 

 panes ufed for filhing, and the coaft and river trade, within the jurifdidlion of this go- 

 vernment. Thefe trees produce no eatable fruit ; but their wood is compa6l, fragrant, 

 and beautiful. The cedar is of two kinds, white and reddilh ; but the laft moft efteem- 

 ed. The maria and the balfam trees, befides the ufefulnefs of their timber, diftil thofe 

 admirable balfams called Maria Oil, and Balfam of Tolu, fo called from a village in 

 the neighbourhood of which it is found in the greateft quantity, and of a peculiar 

 excellency. 



Befides thefe trees, h«re are alfo the tamarind, the medlar, the fapote, the papayo, 

 the guayabo, the cannafiftulo or caffia, the palm, the man9anillo, and feveral others, 

 moft of them producing a wholefome and palatable fruit, with a durable and variegated 

 wood. The man9anillo is particularly remarkable ; its name is derived from the Spanifli 

 word Man9an, an apple, which the fruit of this tree exadly refembles in fhape, colour, 

 and flavour ; but contains, under this beautiful appearance, fuch a fubtle poifon, that its 

 effeds are perceived before it is tafted. The tree is large, and its branches form near 

 the top a kind of crown ; its wood hard, and of a yellowifh tindt. On being cut, it 

 iflfues out a white juice, but not unhke that of the fig-tree, lefs white, and of a thinner 

 confiftence ; but equally poifonous with the fruit itfelf ; for if any happens to drop on 

 any part of the flefh, it immediately caufes an ulcer and inflammation, and, unlefs 

 fpeedy application be ufed, foon fpreads through all the other parts of the body * j fo 

 that it is neceflary, after felling it, to leave it till thoroughly dried, in order to its being 

 worked without danger ; and then appears the beauty of this wood, which is exqui- 

 fitely variegated and veined like marble on its yellow ground. Upon tafting its fruit, 

 the body immediately fwells, till the violence of the poifon, wanting fufficient room, 

 burfts it ; as has been too fully confirmed by feveral melancholy inftances of European 

 failors who have been fent on fliore to cut wood. The fame unhappy confequence alio 

 attended great numbers of Spaniards at the conqueft of thefe countries, till, according 

 to Herrera, common oil was found to be the powerful antidote to this fubtle poifon. 



But fuch is the malignity of the man9anillo, that if a perfon happens to fleep under 

 it, he is foon awaked, and finds his body fwelled almoft as if he had adually eaten the 

 fruit t ; and continues in great danger and tortures, till relieved by repeated anointings 

 and the ufe of cooling draughts. The very beafts themfelves, by their natural inftinft, 

 are fo far from eating its fruit, that they never approach the tree. 



The palm-trees, rifmg with their tufted heads above the branches of the others, form 

 a grand perfpedive on the mountains. Thefe, notwithftanding the difference is fcarce 

 perceivable, are really of different kinds, as is evident from the diverfity of their 

 fruit. They diftinguifti four principal fpecies : the firft produce cocoa ; the fecond 

 dates, of a very pleafant tafte ; the third, called Palma-real, whofe fruit, though of the 

 fame figure, but fomething lefs than the date, is not at all palatable, but has a very dif- 

 agreeable tafte ; and the fourth, which they call corozo, has a fruit larger than dates, 

 of an exquifite tafte, and proper for making cooling and wholefome draughts. The 

 palmitos, or branches of the palma-real, are agreeably tafted, and fo large, as fre- 

 quently to weigh from two to three arrobas {. The other fpecies alfo produce them, 



* The juice dropping on the flefh generally caufes an inflammation ; but I do not remember ever to 

 have feen an ulcer produced, or any very bad efFe<9;s, the hot burning pain excepted. A, 



■\- The author is here mifinformed. Indeed perfons, who have flept under the tree, have afterwards 

 complained of an head-ach, Thofe who happen to take fhelter imder it in a fliower, generally feel the 

 fame etfeft, from the dropping of the leaves, as though the juice had dropt on them. A. 



|: The ^rroba is twenty-five pounds. 



