428 VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES. 



The HymeneEa, or bastard locust-tree, which yields 

 this resin, grows naturally in some parts of South 

 America and in Mexico. It attains to the height 

 of sixty feet, and is about three feet in diameter. 

 It is covered with a light ash-colour bark. The seeds 

 are covered with a light brown saccharine substance, 

 which the Indians scrape off and eat with great avidity, 

 and which is very pleasant and agreeable to the 

 taste. Besides the juice which exudes from the 

 trunk and concretes in tears, the resin is also found 

 collected in large lumps at the principal roots under 

 ground. 



A large quantity of this resin is now imported into 

 England, some from South America, but the principal 

 part from the East Indies and the Persian Gulf. 



The quantity reserved for home consumption for 

 the year 1830 was 96,981 Ibs. It is distinguished in 

 commerce as scraped and rough, the price of the first 

 being, exclusive of the duty, from 7. 10s. to 12 per 

 cwt., and that of the last from '2. 5s. to 5. 5s. per 

 cwt. The rough is subject to a duty of 5d., and the 

 clean to 6d. per Ib. 



Another resin called Elemi is sometimes employed 

 in the arts as an ingredient in varnishes ; but it is 

 a very scarce and expensive substance, and only a 

 very small quantity finds its way into this country. 

 It is said to be the produce of different species of 

 Amyris found in the West Indies. It is imported in 

 cylindrical cakes covered with palm-leaves. The 

 whole is not soluble in alcohol; it is therefore not 

 a pure resin, but contains other extraneous matter. 

 Alcohol, when cold, dissolves only two-thirds ; when 

 boiling, it takes up more than four-fifths. Elemi 

 is sometimes adulterated with the common resin of 

 the fir-tree, but this fraud is easily recognised by its 

 entire solubility in cold alcohol. 



