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THE LACE BARK, OR GAUZE TREE. 



[Lagetta Lintearia. The Daphne Lageita and D. Liniearia of other authors.] 



This is a tree thirty feet high, with a trunk about the size of a man's 

 thigh, straight, with a rough outer bark. The wood is while and solid. 

 The inner bark is tough, but of a fine texture, consisting of twenty or 

 thirty layers, each of which on being soaked in water is easily separated 

 — and, extended or drawn out diagonally, exhibits the appearance of a 

 fine net lace, from which it deiives the name of Lace Bark, or Gauze 

 tree. The branches are round, arid the bark somewhat smoother than that 

 on the trunk. The leaves are four inches loug by two and a half wide, 

 pointed, and somewhat heart-shaped at the base, and are alternately 

 attached to the branchlets by short footstalks ; they are dark, evergreen, 

 leathery, smooth, and shining. The spikes of flowers are placed at the ends 

 of the branchlets, on alternate flower-stalks. There is no calyx ; the 

 corolla is a single-tailed, funnel-shaped white flower, the border divided 

 into four oval, pointed, spreading divisions. The stamens are eight short 

 filaments enclosed withiu the tube. Tbe anthers are roundish, erect, 

 bicolled — the style is short, with a short depressed stigma — the fruit is a 

 roundish drupe or berry, with a roundish kernel pointed at both ends. In 

 Jamaica it is common in the woods of the parishes of St. John, Vere, Claren- 

 don, Manchester, and St. Elizabeth's, on the south side of the island, and 

 generally in the mountains of the interior and north side parishes. 



Long writes of the lace bark : — " The ladies of the island are extremely 

 dexterous in making caps, raffles, and complete suits of lace with it ; in 

 order to bleach it, after being drawn out as much as it will bear, they 

 expose it stretched to the sunshine, and sprinkle it frequently with water. 

 It bears washiug extremely well, with common soap, or the coratoe soap, 

 and acquires a degree of whiteness equal to the best artificial lace. There 

 is no doubt but very fine cloths might be made with it, and perhaps paper. 

 The negroes have made apparel with it of a very durable nature. The 

 common use to which it is at present applied is rope making. The Spaniards 

 are said to work it into cables, and the Indians employ it in a variety of 

 different fabrics. It may, perhaps, be of service to Great Britain as a 

 manufacturing nation, but the inhabitants of these colonies are very seldom 

 disposed to improve what nature offers, or apply many productions here to 

 the obvious uses for which they are intended. Necessity, that great spur 

 to such improvement, is wanting to sthmdate ; or otherwise they would 

 soon find out methods of turning them to account." 



Swartz relates that Charles II. had a cravat made of the bark of this tree, 

 which was presented to him by Sir Thomas Lynch. 



Dr. Wright attributes some medicinal qualities to the bark of this tree, 

 which he says has the sensible qualities of Mezereon, but in a greater 

 degree. 



There are several other species of Daphne to be found in the island of 



