HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



43 



from an incifion it runs of both colours, of a fharp and 

 bitter tafte, and an intenfe but mofl grateful odour. 

 The balfam tree is common in the provinces of Panuco 

 and Chiapan, and in other warm countries. The kings 

 of Mexico caufed it to be tranfplanted into the celebrat- 

 ed garden of Huaxtepec, where it rooted fuccefsfully, 

 and multiplied confiderably in all thofe mountains. 

 Some of the Indians, to extract a greater quantity of bal- 

 fam, after making an incifion in the tree, have burnt the 

 branches. The abundance of thefe valuable trees makes 

 them regardlefs of the lofs of numbers j by which means 

 they are not obliged to wait the flownefs of the diftilla- 

 tion. The ancient Mexicans not only co]le6]:ed the opo- 

 balfam, or drop diftilled from the trunk, but alfo ex- 

 tracted the xylobalfam from the branches by means of 

 decoction (u). From the Huaconex and Maripenda (a:), 

 they extra6led an oil equivalent to the balfam. The 

 Huaconex is a tree of moderate height, and of an aro- 

 matic and hard wood which keeps frefh for years though 

 buried under the earth. Its leaves are fmall and yellow, 

 its flowers likewife fmall and white, and its fruit fimilar 

 to that of the laurel. They diftilled oil from the bark 

 of the tree ; after breaking it, keeping it three days in 

 fpring water, and then drying it in the fun. They 

 likewife extracted an oil from the leaves, of a pleaiing 

 odour. The Maripenda is a fhrub, whofe leaves are like 

 the iron of a lance ; and the fruit is fnnilar to the grape, 

 and grows in clufters which are firft green, afterwards 



red. 



(«) There is an oil alfo drawn from the fruit of the Huitziloxiti, fimilar in 

 fmell and tafte to that of the bitter almond, but more acrimonious and intenfe, 

 which is found highly ufeful in medicine. 



(«; The names Huaconex and Maripenda are not Mexican, but adopted by 

 tlie authors who write of thefe trees. 



