Remarks on the Affave and other Plants. 333 



"-b 



could they be reasonably compared to the Agave, or Aloes. Accor- 

 ding to Don Ramon de la Sagra, in his recent work on Cuba, the 

 Pita of that island is obtained from the Tureroea f^iida of the bota- 

 nists, but as he has requested me to send to the botanic garden of 

 Havanna, some plants of the Pita of Goazacoalcos, which are much 

 exported from Campeche, he must suppose that the latter is produ- 

 ced by a different species, if not a different genus. Although I ar- 

 rived in my consular district in June, 1827, and have traveled three 

 hundred miles S. W. into the Pita country, I have never been 

 able to see a single specimen of the plant in flower. The Pita of 

 Goazacoalcos, is preferred to that of Tobasco, in the market of Yu- 

 catan, and is the imported material of which in Merida, " the most 

 beautiful sewing thread," mentioned by you to have been brought to 

 Philadelphia, by Capt. Hays, was made, and not from the fibres of 

 the Henequin. 



As there are two species of fibrous plants employed in Guatemala, 

 for making ropes, the one cultivated expressly for its leaves, the 

 other called Pinuela, being used also for hedges, it is doubtful wheth- 

 er Dunn has correctly quoted the name Pita, as a synonym for 

 Henequin in that country. The Bromelia Penguin which is used for 

 fences in Jamaica, on account of its prickly leaves, is also valuable 

 for the strong fibres afTorded by them, and ropes are said to be made 

 in Brazil, of another species called Grawathos. Depons says, (Vol. 

 III. p. 133,) that at Carora, in Columbia, they make very good 

 hammocks of the fibres of the Aloe disthica. Of the leaves of the 

 Guinea Aloes mentioned by Adanson, the negroes make very good 

 ropes, not apt to rot in water ; and Sloane says, " that one sort is 

 used for fishing lines, bowstrings, stockings and hammocks." 



As the contents of each leaf are generally tied together, the slen- 

 der knot of the long flax-like Pita, cannot be mistaken on compari- 

 son for the stout knot of the short hemp-like Henequin. The dif- 

 ferent qualities of Henequin are obtained in this peninsula, from 

 different species of Agave, of which two are chiefly preferred for 

 cultiv^ation. The Sacqui is the favorite in the vicinity of Merida, 

 but the new plantations forming near Campeche, are filled with Yash- 

 qui.* These native names signify the white-leaved and the green- 

 leaved Henequin. The leaves of the first are edged with stout prick- 

 les, those of the latter have scarcely any prickles, and sometimes none 



Sack-keeand Yask-kee. The fibres of all are here called Sosquil, (Sose-keel.) 



