322 NATURAL HISTORY. 



contains a milky sap, which, acrid and deleterious, is 

 deadly poison to men and animals. Yet, it also is made 

 useful, for, containing a mucilaginous sugar, which, by- 

 evaporation is made into syrup and perfectly innocuous, 

 it is used as an accompaniment with meat and rice. Cas- 

 sava is made by grating the root, pressing out the juice 

 and drying it in the same manner as pursued with starch. 

 By evaporation the poisonous portion is volatilized and the 

 root is eatable ; and the farinaceous portion is made into 

 Cassava bread, which is like meal or wheaten cakes, and 

 when fresh and slightly toasted, is well-tasted and nutri- 

 tive. The native Indians use it largely, and prepare, by 

 chewing the root and spitting it out into a vessel of water, 

 where it undergoes fermentation, an intoxicating liquor, 

 called Tapana, which they use largely at their festivals. 

 The plant is a profitable article of trade ; the root, after 

 the juice is expressed and exposed to a due degree of 

 heat, is eaten largely, and no danger feared from its 

 use. O . 



The Manchineal Tree (Hippomane mancinella), leaves 

 ovate, acuminate, dentate ; height about forty feet ; trunk 

 strong, resembles a pear tree. Fruit, in color, form, and 

 odor is so much like small apples, that any one is liable 

 to be deceived by it ; when ripe falls from the tree, and, 

 instead of decaying on the ground, dries up. The whole 

 tree contains a milky juice, which is a virulent .poison 

 the fruit particularly so it is said to destroy persons 

 who sleep under its shade, and a drop of the juice falling 

 on the hand or any portion of the skin, produces an in- 

 stantaneous blister. Crabs are used as a remedy, and as 

 the manchineal grows on the sea-coast in the West Indies, 

 these Crustacea are easily procured. The wood, beauti- 



