244 
PHARMACEUTICAL MEETING. 
shortly after the last rains, that is, some time in November, and is supposed to he finished 
in May. During the rains none is collected. In the dog-days, that is from the 15 July 
to the 15 August, there being scarcely any rain here, a small quantity is collected by a 
few enterprising Indians. 
The beating, and application of rags is only made during four days of each week, that 
is four cosechas (harvests) per month. Should the flow of resin decrease, fresh heating 
and rags are applied, and after eight days the boiling is resumed, and so on as long as 
the dry season permits. It was formerly the practice to apply fire to cuts made in the 
bark and to allow the exuding resin to burn for a short time: now after a good beating 
the bark is only heated by torches or burning wood. 
I believe I mentioned to you that before the conquest and for a short time after, bal¬ 
sam formed a part of the tribute paid to the chiefs of Cuscatlan, the chief department 
of the State (now S. Salvador), and was brought from the coast in earthenware jars re¬ 
presenting the pajuil or Mexican pheasant {Crux (jlobicera). Many of these old jars 
are now found in the mounds and excavations of the ancient pueblos on the coast. I 
send you a copy of a broken one in the possession of our worthy Bishop. It is one- 
fourth the original size. The pajuil feeds on the young nuts, and is found in great 
numbers on these trees during the season. 
Ancient Tributary Balsam Jar. 
The small pueblos scattered over the so-called Balsam Coast are numerous. The prin¬ 
cipal ones are:— 
# Juisnagua, a moderate sized pueblo, about six leagues from Sonsonate, formerly 
rich in cacao, but at present of small account. It is the first town where balsam is pro¬ 
duced ; there are in the vicinity about 400 balsam-trees. 
_ Tepecoyo, or Coyo, (Indian Mount of Wolves ), on an elevated ridge, the valleys on 
either side being well watered, is situated twelve leagues S.E. of Sonsonate. About 
a league south of the town there is a gold mine, which w r as opened in 1832, and the ore 
sold in Guatemala. Owing to the depravity of the Spanish miners, the Indians rose against 
the owner and expelled him, since which they will not allow any one even to visit it. 
The produce of this pueblo in balsam is small, having been last year only sixty arobas 
of twenty-five pounds. 
Tamanique, situated in a circular valley, surrounded by very high and heavily timbered 
mountains, among which are numerous tigers, wild hogs, lions (puma), and four-fingered 
green monkeys. Vanilla is plentiful, but not of the finest quality. There are at present 
