26: 



HISTORY OF THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 



like branches of these trees, look like a forest 

 rising out of the expanse of waters. The navi- 

 gator who passes along the delta of the Orinoco, 

 is surprised to see the tops of these trees lighted 

 with fires. They are kindled by the Gaunchos, 

 a people who have remained for ages in these 

 marshes, secured from the floods by living in the 

 palm trees. In the branches they suspend mats, 

 which they fill with clay; and on this damp 

 earth kindle the fires which are necessary for 

 their comfort. Sir Walter Raleigh saw and de- 

 scribed these people. The palm offers to this 

 rude race, as well as to other tribes who inhabit 

 the g-ulf of Darien, and the watery lands be- 

 tween the Guarapitha and the mouths of the 

 Amazon, a safe habitation amidst the inunda- 

 tions to which those countries are subject. But 

 it affords them also in its fruit, its farinaceous 

 bark, its sap abounding with sugar, and its fibrous 

 stalks, pleasant food to eat, wine to drink, and 

 thread to make cordage and hammocks. "It 

 is curious to behold," says Humboldt, "in the 

 lowest stage of civilization, the existence of a 

 whole race depending upon a single species of 

 palm, in a similar degree with those insects which 

 subsist upon one species of flower. 



The Cahhage Palm (areca oleracea). This 

 is one of the most beautiful and stately of the 

 palm tribe, and hence, in some of the tropical 

 islands, has received the name of the palmetto- 

 royal. The stem, which, at its base, measures 

 seven feet in circumference, ascends straight and 

 tapering to a gigantic height. Logan mentions 

 some of them, wlien the island of Barbadoes was 

 first taken possession of by Europeans, as two 

 liundred feet in height ; but Mr Buges observes, 

 that the highest in his time in the island was 

 one hundred and thirty-four feet. "I am in- 

 clined to believe," says Bryan Edwards, " that I 

 have seen them in Jamaica upwards of one hun- 

 dred and fifty feet in height ; but it is impossible 

 to speak with certainty without an actual mea- 

 surement." Near the base the trunk is of a 

 brown colour, hard, woody, and jointed, with a 

 pith inside like the elder. The upper part of 

 the trunk, from whence the foliage springs, re- 

 sembles a well turned finely polished baluster, of 

 a lively green colour, gently swelling from its 

 pedestal, and diminishing gradually to the toj), 

 where it expands into branches, waving like 

 plumes of ostrich feathers. These are decorated 

 with numerous leaflets, some of which are about 

 three feet long, and an inch and a half broad, 

 tapering into a sharp point. The leaflets gradu- 

 ally decrease in size as they approach the extre- 

 mities of the branches. This lofty regular group 

 of foliage, impelled by the most gentle gale, and 

 constantly waving in feathery elegance, is an ob • 

 ject of beauty which cannot be imagined by an 

 inhabitant of temperate climes, unused to the 

 magiiificent -i'eget^aion of a tropical sun. The 



seed is enclosed in a brown spatha, which rises 

 from the centre of the branches, and hanging 

 downwards, consists of small oval nuts, not un- 

 like a bunch of dried grapes, but much longer in 

 proportion to their circumference. Within the 

 leaves, which constitute the summit of the trunk, 

 the portion called the cabbage lies concealed. 

 This substance is white, about two feet long, of 

 a cylindrical form, and the thickness of a man's 

 arm. It is composed of longitudinal flakes like 

 ribands, and so compact as to form a solid crisp 

 body. When eaten raw, it tastes somewhat like 

 the almond, but more tender and delicious. 

 When cut into slices and 1) oiled, it is served up 

 with meat as a vegetable dish. To obtain this 

 very small portion, growing on the very summit 

 of such a stately trunk, the noble tree must be 

 felled to the ground. In the place where the 

 cabbage grew, a species of beetle very generally 

 takes up its abode, and deposits* its eggs, from 

 which, in due time, grubs are hatched, that have 

 received the name of palm tree worms. By the 

 negi'oes these are reckoned a very great luxury; 

 and Stedman thus gives an account of them in 

 his History of Surinam : " Another negTO also 

 brought in a regale oi groe-groe, or cabbage tree 

 worms, as they are called in Surinam. This 

 reptile grows to the size and thickness of a man's 

 thumb, and is extremely fat. However disgust- 

 ing to appearance, these worms are a delicious 

 treat to many people, and they are regularly sold 

 at Parameribo. The manner of dressing them 

 is by fiying them in a pan, with a very little 

 butter and salt, or spiting them on a wooden 

 skewer. In taste they partake of all the spices 

 of India, as mace, cinnamon, clove?, nutmeg. 

 Several species of these worms arc produced in 

 all the palm trees when beginning to rot ; but 

 some are Luger than others. They are all of a 

 pale yellow colour, %\ith black heads." 



Carnauha Palm (coryplia cerifcra). This 

 palm is a native of Brazil, and grows in the low 

 lands on the banks of rivers. It attains the 

 height of thirty feet. The leaves are two feet in 

 leng-th, and, while young, are folded up like a 

 fan ; when expanded, they measure two feet in 

 breadth. If they are cut from the tree when 

 they have attained their full growth, and are 

 placed to dry in the shade, a considerable quan- 

 tity of light coloured scales is loosened from their 

 surface. These scales, when subjected to a heat 

 of 206° Fahrenheit, melt into a substance ex- 

 actly resembling wax. It is of a pale yellow 

 colour, and on cooling, becomes hard and brittle. 

 Alcohol, unless heated, has not the power of dis- 

 solving this ^^'ax. Fixed oils, at the tempera- 

 ture of boiling water, cause its solution. Its 

 specific gravity is .980. It possesses most of the 

 properties of bees' wax, and can be formed into 

 candles, which burn with a good and steady 

 light. The addition of a tenth part of tallow 



