ALOE WOOD. 247 



intoxication caused hv mescal is different, making 

 people niosth' ill-tempered. 



The inner tissue of the Aga^'e inflorescence, wliich 

 is turned to account in Cannes, consists of large thin- 

 walled cells through which run vascular bundles that 

 look like threads to the naked e^-e. A penholder made 

 of this tissue weighs onh' two grammes, — a qualit^' 

 [ ver\- much appreciate. 



The "i^loe wood'", whicii tlie Old Testament con- 

 stanth' praises and mentions amongst the most costh' 

 varieties of frankincense, is not in an^- way related to 

 the Ag-ave nor to the true Aloe. It seems to have been 

 obtained principalh- from Aquillan'a Ao-alloclia, a large 

 tree in Further India, which, like ou-r perfumed species 

 of Daphne, belongs to the Th\'melaceae. The agreeable 

 odoLir ol the wood is due to the resin of wliich it con- 

 tains but a small ciuantity. In order to improve the 

 qualit\' of frankincense it is extracted from the wood 

 fibres b\' the process of maceration. Xaturalh' this kind 

 of frankincense was never sold in large i.|uantities. and 

 in ancient times it formed a suitable gift for a prince. 

 Thus '"Aloe wood" was not lacking among the many 

 costh' presents which C'atarina Cornaro, tire celebrated 

 Queen of C\'prus, recei%'ed in 1476 from Kaitbai, the 

 Sultan of Eg\'pt. In the temples of India this incense is still 

 burnt for ceremonial purposes. Xapoleon I was so fond 

 of this perfume, that he ordered ''Aloe wood" to be 

 burnt in his palace. 



The inhabitants of the western part of Cannes are 

 partl^' compensated for the excursions to La Maure b\' 



