214 



stantly a balsamic odour. The fresh juice^ 

 mixed with cold water, was scarcely coagulated 

 at all; but on the contact of nitric acid the 

 separation of the viscous membranes took place. 

 We sent two bottles of this milk to Mr. Four- 

 croy at Paris : in one it was in it's natural state, 

 and in the other mixed with a certain quantity 

 of carbonat of soda. The French consul re- 

 siding in the island of St. Thomas undertook to 

 convey them to him. 



The extraordinary tree, of which we have 

 been speaking, appears to be peculiar to the 

 Cordillera of 'the coast, particularly from Bar- 

 bula to the lake of Maracaybo. Some stocks of 

 it exist near the village of San Mateo ; and, 

 according to Mr. Bredemeyer, whose travels 

 have so much enriched the fine hot-houses of 

 Schoenbrunn and Vienna, in the valley of Cau- 

 cagua, three days journey East of Caraccas. 

 This naturalist found, like us, that the vege- 

 table milk of the palo de vaca had an agreeable 

 taste, and an aromatic smell. At Caucagua, 

 the natives call the tree, that furnishes this 

 nourishing juice, the milk-tree (arbol de leche). 

 They profess to recognize, from the thickness 

 and colour of the foliage, the trunks that yield 

 the most juice ; as the herdsman distinguishes, 

 from external signs, a good milch-cow. No 

 botanist has hitherto known the existence of this 

 plant, of which it is easy to procure the parts. 



