BEES AKD WAX. 261 



to America, has given rise to the general error, that the true 

 Vitis vinifera is common to the two continents. The Parra* 

 monteses which yields "the somewhat sour wine of the island 

 ot Cuba," was probably gathered on the Vitis tilicefolia which 

 Mr. Willdenouw has described from our herbais. In no 

 part of the northern hemisphere has the vine hitherto been 

 ultivnted with the view of producing wine, south ot the 

 27 48', or the latitude of the island of Ferro, one of the 

 Canaries, and of 29 2', or the latitude of Bushire in Persia. 



WAX. This is not the produce of native bees (the Meli- 

 pones of Latreille), but of bees brought from Europe by way 

 of Florida, The trade in wax has only become important 

 since 1772. The exportation of the whole island, which 

 from 1774 to 1779 was only 2,700 arrobas (average year), 

 was estimated in 1803, including contraband, at 42,700 

 arrobas, of which 25,000 were destined for Vera Cruz. In 

 the churches of Mexico there is a great consumption of 

 Cuban wax. The price varies from sixteen to twenty piastres 

 the arroba. 



Trinidad and the small port of Baracoa also carry on a 

 considerable trade in wax, furnished by the almost unculti- 

 vated regions on the east of the island. In the proximity of 

 the sugar-factories many bees perish of inebriety from the 

 molasses, of which they are extremely lond. In general 

 the production of wax diminishes in proportion as the culti- 

 vation of the land augments. The exportation of wax, 

 according to the present price, amounts to about 500,000 

 of piastres. 



COMMERCE. It has already been observed, that the 

 importance of the commerce of the island of Cuba depends 

 not solely on the riches of its productions, the wants of the 

 population in the articles and merchandize of Europe, but 

 also in great part on the favourable position of the port of 

 the Havannah. This port is situated at the entrance of the 



added something to the analogies of the tcoman-gerpent, the conflict of 

 two brother*, the cataclysm of water, the raft of COXCOJT, the exploring 

 bird, and many other things that teach us incontestably that there existed 

 a community of antique traditions between the nations of the two worlds ? 

 (Views of the Cordilleras and Monuments ot America.) 



