ON  THE  ORIGIN  OF  BAY  RUM. 
Caryophyllus  aromaticus  Indise  occidentalis  foliis  et  fructu 
rotundis,  (Pluk.  Aim.  88,  t.  155,  f.  3.) 
Description. — A  tree,  according  to  Swartz,  clothed  with  a 
grey,  brown  bark.  Branches  compressed,  in  our  dry  specimens, 
(but  Swartz  describes  them  as  terete),  four-angled,  often  marked 
with  very  minute,  raised  points,  glabrous.  Leaves  opposite,  3 
to  5  inches  long,  very  coriaceous,  elliptical  obtuse,  convex  above, 
the  margins  revolute,  waved  and  subtortuose  with  many  parallel, 
nearly  horizontal  nerves  united  by  reticulations  which  are  most 
apparent  on  the  upper  side  (where  are  impressed  dots)  and  in 
the  dry  state,  beneath  pale  with  discolored  not  depressed  dots." 
Lunan,  the  author  of  Hortus  Jamaicensis,"  thus  speaks  of 
this  plant :  "  It  may  contend  with  most  trees  for  the  palm  of 
elegance  ;  it  grows  slowly  and  attains  a  considerable  size.  The 
trunk  is  handsome,  straight,  forming  a  very  lofty,  thick  and 
beautiful  pyramid.  In  the  youBger  trees  the  bark  is  brown, 
then  ash-colored,  and  finally  white  with  yellow  spots,  very 
smooth  and  even,  but  sometimes  hanging  down  in  slender  shreds  ; 
it  has  an  astringent,  somewhat  aromatic  flavor.  The  timber 
is  very  hard,  red  and  ponderous,  capable  of  being  polished  and 
used  for  mill  cogs  and  other  purposes  where  much  friction  is 
required.  The  young  branches  are  sharply  four-angled  and 
green,  their  leaves  3  to  4  inches  long,  of  a  very  sweet  aromatic 
smell,  and,  on  account  of  their  agreeable  astringency,  often  used 
as  a  sauce.  The  flowers  are  small,  white,  with  a  slightly  red- 
dish tinge  ;  the  berries  round,  as  large  as  peas,  having  an  aro- 
matic smell  and  taste,  which  render  them  agreeable  for  culinary 
purposes  ;  they  contain  seven  or  eight  seeds. 
The  tree  is  a  native  of  the  West  Indian  islands,  and  is  called 
in  Grenada  Bois  d'Inde,  Browne  says,  it  is  common  in  An- 
tigua and  Jamaica  as  well  as  Barbadoes,  and  generally  attains 
a  considerable  size  ;  that  it  fills  the  woods  with  the  fragrant 
smell  of  its  leaves,  nearly  resembling  that  of  cinnamon,  but  its 
bark  has  none  of  the  warmth  of  that  of  cinnamon,  though  the 
berries  much  resemble  cloves  both  in  form  and  flavor.  It  is 
commonly  called  wild  cinnamon,  or  wild  clove  tree,  and  it  is 
said  to  be  the  bayherry  of  Hughes." 
In  GuibourL's  Histoire  Naturelle  des  drogues  simples,  4me  ed. 
iii.  254,  255,  the  author  speaks  of  «  piment  couronn^  ou  poivre 
