THE CUBA REVIEW 



17 



by whom the starchy pulp is eaten with avidity, but the odor and the taste which is mawkish 

 are repulsive to the people from the North. These pods frequently appear in the markets. 



Another more or less important product of this tree is the bark which is quite thick but 

 light in weight. It can very readily be detached from the log entire and shaped into service- 

 able canoes used extensively by the Indians of South America. Lvman attributes a variety of 

 m^edicinal Adrtues to the different parts of this tree and the inner bark is said to be used locally 

 as an anthelmintic. 



The "West Indian locust produces one of the grades of gum or resin knoTsTi as gum animi 

 of comm-erce. It is also called animi reson and Brazilian, West Indian or Mexican copal. It 

 is an inodorous, transparent, yellow or reddish resin which exudes from wounds in the bark, 

 and is found also beneath the surface between the principal roots, which constitute perhaps 

 its most valuable product. The resin is collected by men going from tree to tree in the forest 

 and digging down between the roots in search for the gum which occurs in rather large lumps.' 

 As much as a barrel of this resin is often found underneath a single large decayed locust tree. 

 The inhabitants of South America employ this resin medicinally for a great variety of ailments. 

 It is rarely used in medicine in the northern coimtries, but considerable quantities of this gum 

 are imported into the United States for making the finer varieties of varnishes that are superior 

 to shellac. The value of this gum imported annuallv amounts to about S5,000. 



C. H. PEARSOX 



View of Canal which is being opened in Sabinal Bay — Oamagaey Province. 



The dredging of the Sabinal ditch in Nuevitas has continued in progress in spite of having 

 been suspended twice on account of unavoidable accidents, such as the breaking of the cable 

 holding the dredge and the stakes holding it in position. The work done during the year has 

 been the dredging of 12,275 cubic meters of mud and gravel and 1,100 cubic meters of rock; in 

 addition, the dredge has been repaired, also a hghter and two tugs. The money expended during 

 this time amounts to $18,058.29. 



