62 THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA. 



caoutchouc and palo de vaca being the most re- 

 markable. 



The india rubber, which has become so impor- 

 tant an article in the Arts, and of domestic use, is 

 obtained by tapping the tree, much as the maple is 

 in New England. The juice issues, of a white, creamy 

 consistence, and, when designed for exportation 

 in the crude state, it is poured into long troughs, 

 where the elastic particles arise to the surface, leav- 

 ing a dark aqueous fluid beneath. In this way the 

 india rubber becomes sufficiently hard to be taken 

 off in thick sheets. "When converted into any parti- 

 cular shape, as shoes, bottles, etc., as it usually is by 

 the natives, they prepare the moulds by smearing 

 them with clay, and being furnished with handles, 

 they are dipped into the liquid india rubber, and 

 then held in the smoke over a fire of oily palm nuts, 

 to dry, and become black. This process is repeated 

 until the desired thickness is acquired, and then they 

 are exposed in the sun to harden. 



The milk tree, I am disposed to think, is not 

 very common, yet there can be no reasonable doubt 

 of its existence. Humboldt describes it as yielding 

 a large quantity of delicious milk, equal in quality, 

 and possessing many of the characteristics of cows' 

 milk, and says," It is at the rising of the sun, this 

 vegetable fountain is most abundant ; the blacks and 

 natives are then seen hastening from all quarters, 

 with large bowls to receive the milk, which grows 

 yellow and thickens at the surface." 



Lindley confirms this marvellous account, and 



