194 
DOTTINGS ON THE ROADSIDE. [Chap.XII.—B.S. 
cattle together. On all these estates it is customary, 
during this work, that the men have a race before 
breakfast, at least so Don Lucas told me. Two horse¬ 
men always start together, and as soon as one gets 
about five yards ahead, even at the very outset, the 
other gives up the game, thinking it hopeless to try 
recovering lost ground by continuing. 
There are a great number of stingless honey-bees in 
the hollow trees and branches about these plains; and 
whenever anybody finds a hive, he cuts the branch off 
or trunk down, and carries it home, where it is hung 
up, and in due time, generally in March, is cleared of 
its honey. These bees are very particular, keeping a 
sentry at the entrance of their hive, which always 
makes room whenever one of the inmates wants either 
to get in or out. I believe this stingless species is not 
found at any greater altitude than about 500 feet 
above the sea; at least, I never saw any about the 
Javali, which is nigh 2000 feet ; but to make up, as 
it were, for that deficiency, the mine is blessed by a 
very impertinent set of wasps, which build their nest 
under the thatch of houses, and get furious on being 
interfered with. I was stung by one on the upper lip, 
in consequence of which my face was swollen for three 
days, and one of my eyes quite closed, though I ap¬ 
plied all available remedies to allay the inflammation. 
About La Merced, and, I may add, in many other 
parts of the country, I noticed a goodly number of the 
trees which yield the dyewood known by the name of 
Fustic in commerce (Madura tinctoria ). It belongs 
to the Mulberry family, and is termed u Mora ” by the 
