ON THE MANUFACTURE OF BALSAM OF PERU. 
243 
taken out of the boiler at different times and given to a man to be pressed, by which 
means much balsam is still obtained. The press consists of a small open bag about 
fourteen inches long, made of stout rope fixed together with twine, open at the middle 
Rope Bag used for pressing the Rags. 
and looped at both ends to receive two sticks. The rags are placed inside, and the whole 
is twisted round by means of the sticks and the balsam thus squeezed out. A washer¬ 
woman wringing out a wet cloth, fairly represents the process. The balsam thus pro¬ 
cured is added to that in the boiler. The 
next day, the cold balsam is weighed and put 
into tecomates or gourds of different sizes and 
sent to market:—its price at present is 5 
reals per pound. If it is wished to purify 
it, the boiler is left standing for several 
days, when the impurities float to the sur¬ 
face and are skimmed off. A little water 
is also left to float at the mouth of the 
tecomate when brought for sale. These 
tecomates are tied up in plantain leaves, 
with a stopper of the same. 
A very line quality of balsam is collected 
from the broken pods in the same manner 
as above.* It requires more trouble and care 
to collect, and there being no demand for 
it, it is scarcely ever met with. I believe 
it is known as Balsamo bianco. From the 
flowers there is distilled a most delicious 
and fragrant aguardiente, far superior to 
any brandy. 
A healthy tree will produce balsam well 
for about thirty years, after which, if allowed 
to remain untouched for five or six years, it 
will again produce. The collecting begins 
Gourds, or Tecomates —one covered with 
plantain leaves. 
* It is more probably made by simple expression, and not by boiling.—D. H. 
