ALOE. 
103 
climates, where their growth is slow, it will be much 
longer before they arrive at perfection. 
The leaves of the American aloe are five or six 
feet long ; from six to nine inches broad, and three 
or four thick. They are formed of a mucilaginous 
fluid, surrounding an immense quantity of parallel 
threads, which, when separated, and properly ma- 
nufactured, serve the purpose of hemp, being used 
for cordage, and to make packing-cloths. The 
leaves are always employed in America in this man- 
ner ; and it is not long ago that they used them 
for the same purpose in Spain. To extract their 
flax from the leaves they are passed through rollers, 
and afterwards washed and combed by the work- 
men. 
The abbe La Pluche speaks of the aloe as a tree 
as tall as that which bears olives : he tells us, that 
under its bark are contained three sorts of wood 5 
the first is black, solid and weighty ; the second of 
a tawny colour, and as light as rotten wood ; and 
the third, which is at the heart, has' a strong but 
agreeable smell. “ The first,” continues the abbe, 
“ is called eagle-wood , and is very scarce : the se- 
cond, wood of Calambac ; it is brought into Eu- 
rope, and esteemed there as an excellent drug; it 
burns like wax, and, when thrown into the fire, dif- 
fuses an aromatic scent. The heart, which is called 
wood of Calambac, or Tarnbac, is more precious in 
the Indies than gold itself. It is used for per- 
fuming habits and apartments, and is a cordial in 
fainting and paralytic fits. In this wood they like- 
