10 AN ESSAY ON THE OOPAS/ OR 



several others of our large Forest treos. It is 

 covered with a whitish bark, sli2:littv burstino; 

 in longitudinal farrows : near the groiind this 

 bark is, in old trees, more tban balf ari inch 

 thick, and, upon being v/ounded, yields plenti- 

 fiüly the milky juice from which the celebrated 

 poison is prepared. A puncture or incision 

 being made in the tree, the juice or sap appears 

 oozing out, of a yeliowish colour ; (somswhat 

 frothy) from old trees, paler; and nearly white 

 from young ones : when exposedtothe air its sur* 

 face becomes brown. The consigtence very much 

 resembles milk, only it is thicker, and viscid. 

 This sap is contained in the true bark ( or cortex ) 

 "which when puoctured, yieids a considerable 

 quantily, so that in a short time a cup full may 

 be collected from a large tree. The inner 

 bark (orliber) is of a close fibrous texture, 

 likc that of themoruspapyr2fera,B.ud whensep- 

 arated from the other bark, and cleansed from 

 the adhering particles, resembles a coarse piece 

 of linen. It has been worked inlo ropes which 

 are very sirong, and the poorer class of people 

 employ the inner bark of younger trees, which 

 is more casily prepared, for the purpose of mak- 

 ing a coarse stuflf which they wear when werking 

 in the fields, But it requires rauch bruising. 



