Old Ligon says “the last and best sort of drinke that this iland or the world affords, is the incomparable wine of pines; and is certainly the nectar which the gods drunke; for on earth there is none like it; and that is made of the pure juyce of the fruit itselfe, without commixture of water or any other creature, having in itselfe a naturall compound of all tastes excellent, that the world can yield. This drinke is too pure to keep long; in three or four dayes it will be fine; ‘tis made by pressing the fruite, and strayning the liquor, and it is kept in bottles.”—A true and exact History of the Iland of Barbadoes, 1657.
[267] Du Tertre speaks of a species of Karatas, which agrees, from his description, with this in the height of the stalk, the shape of the leaves, and the colour of the flowers; which he says are estroileés—Transl. He adds, “Avant que les boutons de ces fleurs soient ouverts ils sont remplis d’un fort beau et bon cotton, dont l’on se peut servir utilement: apres que l’on a fait boüillir les füeilles l’on en tire du fil dont l’on se sert en plusieurs endroits de l’Amerique, non seulement à faire des toilles, mais encore à faire des licts pendans. La racine et les füeilles de cette plante broyées et lavées dans une riviere, jettent un suc qui estourdit si fort le poisson, qu’il se laisse prendre à la main: ce grand tronc qui est tout spongieux estant seché, brulle comme une méche ensouffrée, et froté rudement, avec une bois plus dur, s’enflame et se consume.”—Histoire des Antilles, tom. ii. p. 106.
Labat gives the same account, and adds that persons who are in the habit of smoking “ne manquent jamais d’avoir sur eux leur provision de tol.”—Nouveau Voyage, &c. tom. 6. p. 142.
“Le caratas dont j’ai parlé dans un autre endroit est bien meilleur que la Savonette pour blanchir le linge. On prend la füeille et aprés en avoir ôté les piquans, on la bat et l’écrase entre deux pierres et on frote le linge avec l’eau. Elle produit le même effet que le mielleur savon, elle fait une mousse ou écume épaisse, blanche, qui decrasse, nettoye et blanchit parfaitement le linge, sans le rougir ou le brûler en aucune facon.”—Nouveau Voyage, &c. tom. vii. p. 385.
[268] At Pillar, upon the island of Itamaraca, the persons who are in the habit of preparing the cairo, dig holes in the sands below high water mark, and bury the rind of the coco for several days before they beat it. I suppose this method is resorted to, owing to the want of a running stream in which to steep the rind.—Transl.
[269] There are some breaks, but they are not extensive, as far as I am acquainted with the country.—Transl.
[270] In Wildenow this plant is so arranged.—T.
[271] “The inhabitants of the plains of Iguaraçu make use of it to fasten together the rushes from which they make the mats that are used for pack-saddles.”—Discurso sobre a Utilidade da Instituicam de Jardims, &c.
Padre Ignacio de Almeida Fortuna told me, that he had had a pair of stockings made from the fibre of the Macaiba. I brought some of the fibre to England; it is extremely strong and fine. I think Dr. Arruda may perhaps have been rather hasty in ranking it with the tucum, in the difficulty of obtaining it. At Itapissuma, near to Itamaraca, a great quantity of thread is manufactured for fishing-nets, &c. and it has at that place a fixed price.—Transl.
“Referring the meeting to what was communicated in the last annual Report on the subject of a species of hemp, manufactured from the leaves of a particular kind of palm which abounds in Sierra Leone and its neighbourhood, the directors have now to add, that one of their Board, Mr. Allen, has lately subjected a small quantity of cord, manufactured from this substance, to experiments calculated to ascertain its strength, as compared with the same length and weight of common hempen cord. The result has been very satisfactory.” In five trials, the average is as follows “hempen cord 43lbs. 3-fifths. African cord 53lbs. 2-fifths, being a difference in favour of the African cord of 10lbs. in 43lbs.”—Fourth Report of the Directors of the African Institution, p. 15.