KISTORY OF MEXICO. 



39 



For the excellence, variety, and plenty of its timber, 

 that country is equal to any in the world: as there is no 

 fort of climate wanting in it, every one produces its pecu- 

 liar wood. Belides oaks, firs, pines, cypreffes, beeches, 

 aflies, hazels, poplars, and many others common in Eu- 

 rope, there are entire woods of cedars and ebonies, the 

 two fpecies mod valued by the ancients : there is an 

 abundance of Agalloco or wood of aloe, in Mixteca ; of 

 Tapinzecan, in Michuacan ; Caoba, in Chiapan Palo Ga- 

 teado ; which we might call creeping wood^ in Zoncoliuh- 

 can, (now gonzolica)\ Camote in the mountains of Tezco- 

 co; Granadillo or red ebony, in Mixteca and elfewhere; 

 Mizqiiitl or real Acacia, Tepehuaxin, Copti, Jabin, 

 Guayacan or holy wood, Ayaquahuitl, Oyametl, the 

 wood of Zopilote, and innumerable other woods valuable 

 for their durability, their hardnefs, and weight their 

 pliablenefs or eafmefs of being cut, the elegance of their 

 colours, or the agreeablenefs of their odour. The Ca- 

 mote is of a moft beautiful purple; and the Granadillo, a 

 dark-red colour ; but the Palo gateado^ Caoba, and Tzo- 

 piloquahuitl or wood of Zopilot, are flill more admirable. 

 The hardnefs of the Guayacan is well known in Europe ; 

 the Jabin has the fame property in no lefs a degree. 

 The aloe-wood of Mixteca, although different from the 

 true Agalloco of the Eafl, according to the defcriptioa 

 given of it by Garzia deH'Orto and other authors, is 

 hov/ever not lefs to be efteemed for Its delightful odour, 



efpecially 



(o) Pliny, in his Natural Hiftory, lib. xvi. cap. 4. mentions no other woods 

 of great fpecific weight, in water, than thefe four, ebony, box, larch, and barked 

 cork; but in Mexico there are many trees, whofe wood does not floet in water, 

 as the Guayacan, Tapinzeran, jabin, Quilbrahacha, &c. The Quilbrahacha, 

 which means break-axe, is fo called becaufe in cutting it the axe is frequently 

 broke by the hardnefs of the wood. 



(/>) Storia del Semplici, Aromati, &c. della, Icdia Oris;ntalc. 



