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in the course of my travels, I confess there are 

 few, that have so powerfully affected my ima- 

 gination as the aspect of the cow-tree. What- 

 ever relates to milk, whatever regards corn, in- 

 spires an interest, which is not merely that of 

 the physical knowledge of things, but is con- 

 nected with another order of ideas and senti- 

 ments. We can scarcely conceive how the 

 human race could exist without farinaceous sub- 

 stances ; and without that nourishing juice, 

 which the breast of the mother contains, and 

 which is appropriated to the long feebleness of 

 the infant. The amylaceous matter of corn, the 

 object of religious veneration among so many 

 nations, ancient and modern, is diffused in the 

 seeds, and deposited in the roots of vegetables ; 

 milk, which serves us as an, aliment, appears to 

 us exclusively the produce of animal organiza- 

 tion. Such are the impressions we have received 

 in our earliest infancy : such is also the source 

 of that astonishment, which seizes us at the as- 

 pect of the tree just described. It is not here 

 the solemn shades of forests, the majestic course 

 of rivers, the mountains wrapped in eternal 

 frost, that excite our emotion. A few drops of 

 vegetable juice recall to our minds all the power- 

 fulness and the fecundity of nature. On the 

 barren flank of a rock grows a tree with coria- 

 ceous and dry leaves. It's large woody roots 

 can scarcely penetrate into the stone. For se- 



