44 NATURAL HISTORY READER. 



the eucalyptus of Australia. Livingston estimated that 

 one of these trees which he examined was fourteen hun- 

 dred years old. 



3. In tenacity of life this tree is remarkable. Having 

 once obtained a foothold in the soil, it retains its position 

 with great persistence. When stripped of its bark, a new 

 growth will appear ; and when the entire inside of the 

 trunk has decayed, or has been eaten out by insects, the 

 thin outer section retains sufficient vitality to give nurture 

 to the foliage above. Fire will not destroy it, and even 

 after it has fallen it continues to grow in length, the roots 

 retaining their vitality, and sending up new shoots. 



4. Like the palm, the baobab is remarkable as furnish- 

 ing a great variety of articles useful to man. The fruit, 

 which grows in great abundance, is soft and pulpy, and is 

 inclosed in a long, dark-green, woody pod about the size of 

 a quart bottle. It is edible, of an agreeable flavor, but 

 rather dry. It forms an important part of the food of the 

 natives, and is transported across the desert, where it makes 

 its appearance on the shores of the Mediterranean. The 

 pulp between the seeds tastes like cream of tartar, and is 

 used by the natives for its medicinal qualities in case of 

 fevers. From the fibers of the bark a strong cord is manu- 

 factured, and to obtain this material the tree is frequently 

 stripped of its entire bark, which, however, does not appear 

 to disturb its growth, as a new bark directly makes its ap- 

 pearance. 



5. The superstitions connected with this tree are of an 

 entirely different character from those associated with the 

 banyan by the natives of India. The musicians and poets 

 who preside at all ceremonies performed at the tombs of 

 the negro kings are called Guerrots. During their life, 

 their talent gives them influence and a certain kind of re- 

 spect ; but they are regarded as sorcerers, and after death 

 the respect is succeeded by a deep-seated horror for their 



