The fruits and esculent vegetables found in the Isthmus are those of other similar into-tropical situations. The grains cultivated are rice and Indian-corn. The sugar-cane is grown, but not extensively. Coffee and cocoa are cultivated as required for domestic consumption. The caoutchouc tree,[1] milk-tree (Palo di Vacco), and vanilla plant, am all abundant in the woods. The charcoal made from many of the trees is considered excellent for smelting; and as such is exported to Peru, and in much request there. Some of them yield very rich and brilliant dyes, used by the Indians, but not yet known, as Mr. Lloyd believes, in commerce. The barks of others are medicinal, or abound in tannin. Ink is made both from gall-nuts and a bush called alsifax, resembling the caper. Many valuable resins are extracted from different trees; particularly one, distilled from the bark of a true called the palo santo, or holy try, which is highly fragrant, and is both used as a remedy for disorders, and burnt as incense. The styrax officinalis of Linnæus is very abundant, the gum extracted from it selling for two dollars a pound.
The wild animals of the woods are tigers, or rather tiger-cats, being seldom larger than small Newfoundland dogs; lions, at least so called; bears; racoons; sajinos, a species of wild boar, found in droves; wild hogs in herds; conejos, something like our rabbits, but larger; deer in abundance on the borders of the woods; hosts of monkeys of many species; with wild turkeys, both black and coloured; birds resembling our hen pheasants; pigeons, ducks, &c., all excellent eating. The most dangerous animals in the list are the wild hogs, which, when together in a drove, will, if fired on, readily attack one or two men. The tiger does not attack men, but freely prays on small cattle.
The isthmus has been famed for snakes and poisonous reptiles; yet Mr. Lloyd did not meet above one or two during his whole stay, and does not describe them. The country-people will seldom move after nightfall for fear of them, and always carry about their persons a 'contra,' or remedy, or what they generally consider still more efficacious, a 'charm,' against their bite. This charm is an alligator's tooth stuffed with herbs compounded and muttered over by some old woman. It is worn round the neck. The 'contra' is said to be very efficacious, being a bitter root called guavito, scraped down, and part of the powder taken inwardly, and part applied to the bite.
- ↑ With the gum flowing from this, and while it is yet liquid, the inhabitants manufacture a sort of water-proof cloth, on the sample principle as in this country; but which, thus prepared, is more uniform, and never cracks.
