having more wit than to trust it in the hands of such a transparent rogue as this fellow appeared to be.
During my visit to Mr. Waite's coffee plantation, and during other excursions I made to the interior, I had excellent opportunities afforded me for seeing the country in the vicinity of Georgetown, and of obtaining information concerning it.
The Vegetables and Animals of Demerara.
Like Venezuela, this portion of Demerara is very beautiful to the eye, and is very rich in products of the soil. The palm trees grow to a great size, and are useful in innumerable ways. The adobe, or mud huts of the poorer classes, are invariably thatched with palm leaves, interwoven with cane, and plastered with mud. This kind of a roof has merits, but it also has some disadvantages, not the least of which is, that it affords an admirable habitation for ants, lizards, snakes, roaches, scorpions, and spiders, of all colors and sizes. The people, however, do not appear to mind this vermin, and it has seemed to me that they rather enjoyed sharing their habitations with the venomous reptiles arid insects. Of the fibres of the palm are made various kinds of cordage, nets, ham mocks, lassos, mats, and many household conveniences.
There are a number of different kinds of cactus, some of which grow to a great height. The fruit of the scarlet variety is made into a kind of preserve, which is pleasant eating, resembling in flavor that made from the crab-apple. From this fruit, also, an agreeable drink is prepared, which is very refreshing.
From the candle tree, the natives, at certain seasons, extract the sap by making incisions in the bark. This sap, which is oily in its nature, is caught in earthen bowls, and after it solidifies,—which it does very rapidly on being exposed to the air,—is made into candles.
The milk tree is treated in the same manner. The juice, when it is first extracted, is thin and watery, like that of the grape vine. After standing for a short time it thickens, and becomes of the color of goat's milk. When it is in this condition the natives drink it, and are exceedingly fond of it. If permitted to stand a sufficient time, the milk solidifies to the consistency of thick jelly, and then twists of cotton are dipped in it, and are used for candles.
The guaca is a powerful antidote for poisons, and is used
