454 THE ODOROUS SUBSTANCES OF THE FRENCH COLONIES. 



America as a toilet water for washing the head, but in Europe it is 

 almost unknown. 



Some use might also be made of the odorous flowers that these Colo- 

 nies produce, such as Frangipane (Plumesia vubra), Cassie (Acacia 

 famesiana), and Henna (Lawsonia inermis), a dye-plant which is used by 

 the women in the East to tint their finger-nails, the soles of their feet, 

 and sometimes their hair. Guiana offers nearly the same products as 

 Martinique and Guadaloupe. The Vanilla which is found wild in the 

 woods, differs a little from the Vanillon. The pod is longer and more 

 slender, but it has not the fine flavour of the Mexican. The " bois de 

 rose femelle,'' 1 (Licaria odorata), has a delicious odour which approaches 

 to bergamot, but being extremely fugitive, it is necessary to pulverise 

 the wood at the moment of distillation. The essence drawn from it, 

 which has begun to be employed by the Parisian perfumers, would 

 fetch p a remunerative price if it were sufficiently known. The fat 

 extracted from the oil nutmeg {Virola sebifera), would form a good 

 base for toilet soaps, and the resin of Idea lieptapliylla might be em- 

 ployed to make pastilles for burning. 



Senegal did not send any odorous materials, although they ought not 

 to be wanting ; but we remarked a very varied collection of fatty sub- 

 stances which could be used in soap-making. Besides Palm oil, which 

 is consumed in large quantities, one might also be found, the Dika, a solid 

 oil, obtained from the seeds of the Mangifera Gabonensis, wdiich appears 

 very unctuous, and is offered at 150 francs the 100 kilos., free at Eouen, 

 which is a very advantageous price for manufacturers. Henna, ot which 

 we have already spoken is also among the products from Senegal. 



Reunion exhibited in the first place a magnificent collection ox 

 vanilla, contributed by thirteen exhibitors, of whom four received medals. 

 This culture is of very recent date, for in 1849 it scarcely existed, 

 whereas, in 1860, it produced more than 6,000 kilogrammes. We 

 cannot congratulate the colonists too much on occupying them- 

 selves in propagating this excellent aromatic, which forms an 

 agreeable condiment as well as a precious perfume. The vanillas 

 exhibited were very fine ; they had the length, the bulk and 

 the penetrating odour of the best Mexican, and will, in course of 

 time probably supplant the latter for French consumption. We also 

 fiud that Reunion is overrun with aromatic plants and substances with 

 which the perfumery trade has hitherto been supplied from the East 

 Indies or the Eastern Archipelago. 



Among these are the clove, cinnamon, nutmegs, citTouella (Andropogon 

 citratum), vetivert (Anatherum muricatum), coriander, fennel, fenugreek, 

 and cardamoms, substances which are all employed in a natural state, 

 or in the form of essences, in perfumery. A specimen of the leaves of the 

 faham (Angmcum fragi-ans), struck us as possessing a very agreeable 

 odour, which must be still better when fresh. From French India not- 

 withstanding the narrow compass of its territory, were displayed a great 



