JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA. 



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most valuable : the St. Juan and the Poro, which yield a 

 beautiful yellow, and particularly the Annona reticulata, 

 the peculiarity of which is that its wood, though perfectly 

 white, changes colour on being cut or slit, and turns to a 

 clear brilliant red, that is easily extracted, and is quite 

 durable. 



The gums most in esteem are copal, arabic, quitini, 

 guapinol, (an excellent perfume,) incense, chiracca, and 

 the gum of the chesnut tree. An oily substance is also 

 extracted from the fruit of this tree, from which candles 

 are made, as fine as those of white wax. and burning 

 with a clear, steady light, without giving out much 

 carbon. 



Besides the mahogany tree, there are others which are 

 remarkable for their size and beauty, or for their peculiar 

 fitness for cabinet work ; as cedars of gigantic dimensions, 

 the Ceyba, or silk-cotton tree, the Palma real, or wild 

 cabbage tree, the wild tamarind and the cocoa-nut tree. 

 Also the lignumvitse, the oak, the quachepelin, a very 

 strong wood suitable for stakes to build on, as not rotting 

 in the ground, the quiebrahacha, which is also remarkable 

 for its durability and hardness, and the comenegro, or 

 iron tree, so highly esteemed in the East Indies and in 

 other countries. 



Of the vegetables of this country, one of the most use- 

 ful is a small species of bean, perfectly black, which is 

 very extensively cultivated, and constitutes the chief 

 nourishment of the working classes. Another is the plan- 

 tain, which thrives well there, and is consumed in great 

 quantities. 



The fruits deserving any notice, are the chirimoya, a 

 species of annona, which is very luscious and refreshing, 

 the quanavana, another species of annona, the aguacate, 

 or alligator pear, (Persica gratissima,) the corozo, which 

 is a cocoa-nut in miniature, being not larger than a hen's 

 egg, the pine-apple, the sapote, (cucurbita citrullus,) the 



