BOTANY. 153 



Terra Fir ma and the I\Iouths of the Oronooko. 



The vessels which go to Martinique and Cayenne, 

 having, as we have already said, frequent commu- 

 nications with Terra Firm a und the mouths of the 

 Oronooko, might easily procure us the plants we 

 chiefly desire from these regions, by asking for 

 them under the names by which they are known in 

 the country. 



From Cumana, branches in flower, and ripe 

 fruits of the cuspa, which we call Jesuits' bark 

 (cascarilla), and which we must not confound with 

 the cuspara of the missions of Caroni. The cuspara 

 furnishes the quinquina (Jesuits' bark), of Spanish 

 Guyana, called in Europe, cortex angusturse. 



The vessels visiting the ports of Guaira and 

 Porto Cabello might bring some branches in flower, 

 and some fruits of the cow-tree (arbol de la vacca), 

 which resembles the chrysophyllum in the family 

 of sapoteae. This tree grows near Barbula, between 

 Porto Cabello and Nueva Valencia. It will be 

 highly important to bring also several well-corked 

 bottles of this vegetable milk, which gives nourish- 

 ment to the inhabitants. 



Santo Thomas dc Angostura., and the Mouths of the 

 OronooJco. 



The leaves, the flowers, the fruit, and the farina of 

 H 5 



