Gy AS DR, eee 
; 
236 Cincinnati Society of Natural History. 
are used by the poorer classes of South America instead of writing paper, 
and also for thatching their houses. If the inner leaves of the plant 
are cut out just before the flower scape bursts forth, the sap flows 
abundantly. This has an agreeable sour taste, but soon ferments, is 
called “ pulque,’”’ and has the odor of putrid meat. Europeans who 
have overcome their repugnance to the odor are said to prefer “ pulque” 
to any other beverage. From it is made the fiery brandy known as 
“aguardiente,’ which has been a considerable source of revenue to the 
Mexican government. From three cities it collected a net sum of 
£166,497, equal to about $832,485. 
The fibre of the leaves is made into cordage which is exceedingly 
strong. Humboldt describes a bridge with a span of 130 feet over 
the Chimbo, in Quito, of which the main ropes, four inches in diameter, 
were made of Agave fibre.* Orton says: “the flowers make ex- 
cellent pickles ; the flower stalk is used for building ; the pith of the 
stem is used by barbers for sharpening razors ; the fibres of the leaves 
are woven into sandals and socks; and the sharp spines are used for 
needles.” + 
It has been supposed by some writers that the Century Plant was 
the one which was referred to by old Chinese historians, in accounts 
given of a visit in the fifth century to the land of“ fusung,’’ supposed 
to be Mexico. Other writers have denied that the land of ‘‘ fusung”’ 
was Mexico, and contend that it was Japan, because the poetical name 
of Japan was “fusung.” Still, the account says that the country 
visited lay ‘‘twenty thousand /¢”’ to the east of China; and as a is 
equal to one third of a mile, it is necessary to suppose Japan and 
China to be separated by over 6,000 miles, a rather improbable supposi- 
tion. There is nothing very improbable in supposing that the Chinese 
crossed over to America by way of the Aleutian Islands, and they may 
have penetrated as far south as Mexico. The subject is fully dis- 
cussed in the fifth volume of Bancroft’s ‘ Native Races of the Pacific 
Coast,” to which I would refer any one who wishes to investigate the 
subject further. 
* Treasury of Botany, vol. i., p. 30. 
ft Andes and Amazon, 101. ‘**Terzozomoc, the high priest of the ancient Mexicans, 
gave aloe leaves, inaceieed. with sacred characters, to persons who had to journey among the 
volcanoes, to protect them from injury. Ibid. p. 100. 
