66 



of Paraiba. The heavy anchors belonging to a line of 

 battle ships were hoisted on board a vessel with this same 

 old rope, after hemp cables of a larger diameter had 

 been found inefficient for the purpose. The seixated sharp . 

 edges of the leaves of the Dasyliron has prevented them' 

 from being used for their fibres; besides the Yucca or 

 Spanish dagger abounds in that region, and so does the 

 Agave or maguey. 



The Agave heteracanthe, the leaves of which are used 

 for making coarse cloth, bagging, ropes, etc., in, western 

 Texas, near and at Presidio del Norte, in Mexico, is com- 

 mon on and around limestone mountains and hills along 

 the Pecos and westward to the Rio Grande. In many 

 places it is so thick as to make walking among it a careful 

 study, to avoid injury from its sharp pointed leaves. It is 

 called lecTiuguia by some of the Mexicans; others also call 

 a Dasylirion by the same name. 



Of all these plants, the Yuccas or Spanish dagger, are 

 the most common. These, joined with the Dasylirions, give 

 a singular beauty to some of the western landscapes. 



One species of Yucca, the longifolia, often has very 

 long leaves, some of which I brought home from near 

 iluerto springs, are five feet long; others, found near 

 Devil's river, are five feet six inches, but the ordinary 

 length of the leaves of this species is from three to four 

 feet. 



I append the following communications regarding these 

 plants. The two first are from the Rural Carolinian, of 

 Charleston. S. C, and the last from Our Home Journal, of 

 Xew Orleans : 



Texas Istle in England. 



The object of this communication is to stimulate as much 

 as possible the growth and collection of this valuable fibre, 

 and to promulgate amongst the producers in Texas the 

 exact state of our European market, as demonstrated in 

 Liverpool. Unlike the past, the present and future are 

 leplete with encouragement. 



Hitherto, our largest supply of Istle, Isle, Pita de Tam- 

 pico, or Mexican Fibre, (as it is variously designated), has 

 been drawn from Mexico, and within the last fortnight 

 1000 bales thence, about two hundred tons gross, have been 

 sold here. The only Texas Istle that we hare received so 



