[124] Labat in his Nouveau Voyage aux isles de l’Amerique gives an elaborate account of the mangrove plants. He speaks of three species, and treats in the first place of the mangle noir ou paletuvier. To this tree he applies precisely what I should say of the mangue vermelho or red mangrove, with respect to its manner of growing, and to the description of the plant altogether, excepting in regard of the bark which he states in the mangle noir, to be fort brune, whereas the red mangrove derives its name from the red colour of the inside of the bark. He says that it is used for tanning, and “on peut se servir du tronc de cet arbre pour les ouvrages où l’on a besoin d’un bois qui résiste à l’eau,” tom. ii. p. 195 and 197. I suppose he concluded that this would be so as the wood grew in the water. Now the mangues with which I am acquainted soon rot, even in salt water when used as stakes; for although the trees are propagated by means of shoots, if a part of the stem of one of them is put into the ground it does not take root, and indeed soon rots in any situation. The pens for catching fish are made of posts which are obtained from the forest, and these are scarce and dear. Would not the mangrove be used, if it was sufficiently durable?
He speaks afterwards of the mangle rouge, and this from his description appears to me to be what the Pernambucans call the mangue bravo; this does not grow in salt water, but in the vicinity of it. It is a large tree of irregular make, the branches being much twisted and full of knots.
Bolingbroke in his voyage to the Demerary describes the red mangrove as I have seen it, but he says that the bark is grey. In the Third Report of the Directors of the African Institution, p. 8, I find that some notion was entertained in 1809, of introducing the mangrove bark into this country for tanning.
[125] I once asked an African negro the name of this tree, and he answered coraçam de homem or man’s heart; thus he did not chuse to use the name of negro’s heart. The man knew the usual name perfectly well.
[126] The iron wood is mentioned by Bolingbroke in his voyage to the Demerary; and the bois de fer, by Labat, in the Voyage du Chevalier des Marchais à Cayenne, &c. he says, “Le bois de fer se trouve par-tout en quantité,” tom. iii. p. 240.
[127] Marcgraff also speaks of a species of jacaranda, which is a white wood.
[128] I shall give the names of those with which I am acquainted: parôba, jacaranduba, guabiraba, araroba, cicopira, embiriba, sapucaia, aroeira do Sertam. This last is only found in parts far removed from the coast, and is accounted of equal value with the pao ferro.
Labat, in speaking of the kinds of wood which are fit for building, says, “Je ne croi pas devoir renvoyer à un autre endroit la remarque que j’ai faite sur tous les bois qu’on met en terre qui est, que pour peu qu’ils soient bons ce n’est pas la partie qui est en terre qui se pourrit ni celle qui est dehors, mais seulement ce qui est au ras de terre.” This I have found to be true to a certain extent; but there are some species of timber which rot very quickly under ground, though the part which he terms au ras de terre is certainly that which decays the most speedily. He continues “Pour éviter cet inconvenient, il faut brûler la partie qui doit être en terre et quelques pouces au dessus, c’est-à-dire la sécher au feu ou dans les cendres rouges, sans la réduire en charbon, afin que la seve ou l’humidité qui s’y pourroit encore trouver, soit entierement dessechée, que les pores se renfermant, les parties se raprochent les unes des autres, le bois devient plus compact et par consequent plus propre à résister à l’humidité.”—Nouveau Voyage, tom ii. p. 386.
This is done in Pernambuco, and is found to be of great service; but it is only practised with those woods which are known not to be naturally durable under ground.
[129] Labat says, “L’arbre que nous appellons acajou aux isles du Vent, est le même que celui que les Espagnols appellent cedre dans la Terre-ferme et dans les grandes isles. Je ne sai qui a plus de raison; car je n’ai jamais vû les cedres du Liban, que selon les rélations que j’en ai lû ne ressemblent point du tout au cedre Espagnol.” He says likewise, “Ce qu’il ne faut pas confondre avec l’acajou à fruit dont j’ai parlé dans un autre endroit.”—Nouveau Voyage, tom. viii. p. 208 and 212.