164 N A K R A T I V E O P A N
CH'A.p. months for tranfpo-rtation, during which time they lived
, XX^~ , , without any apparent• nourifhment whatever, yet ftill remained
vigorous, and even prone , to copulation.
Another kind of iand-turtle, called here the arlkeakeay
l have often feen; this is lefs in circumference^ very fiat,'
o f a difagreeable greehifh colour, and nothing-like fh.
good the former..
On the 17th we continued our marc^t N. and N. E. in
hopes of more difcoveries^ but Withoutffuécéfs:.:, Wethrs
day paffed feme ant-hifïoefes above- fix feefhigH, ancf,
without exaggeration, above-one hundred feet in circumference.
We allb .faw great quantities o f valuable tira-
her, and, among the reff, the 'Mé^k^cmka^etct&y the
wood o f which is of a deep brown, and is in high-effi matron
among jcarpenters and' joiners.5« W & fm d -- Maker
tree was likewife fhewn me, which “receives; its name
from the fruit, which being -divefted- of its-feed/is^ufed as
a fand-box by writers. It is of the fhape o f a- large Opioi^
with fmall holes -in the fur f a c e t h e feed, isjb.oth laxative
and emetic, but the juice o f the pulp is> a • fatal poifon.
More than this I cannot fay, having had neither the time
nor the power o f examining dt with the accuracy o f a
profeffed botanift.
On the 18th we continued the fame eourfe for a few
hours longer, when we.- found a beaten path, which,
though circuitous, feenaed to be a communication be-
tween Gado-Saby arid Booffy-Cry, We followed this
path, which led us due W. for a few hours, when a poor
.rebel
E X P Ë D I T I O N . T O S' Ü R I N AM . 165
rebel negto was found by -hse(Covered with branches of cha p .
the märittfSle^tree, and ill deed' barely alive, being inap- . xxin‘ ,
pearance hdthing but fki’n and bone, with one of his eyes
almoft beaten out of theifocket: Ppuf -my bottle to his
mouth,1 he fwa-ltowed a -few drop's of rum and water^ and
faid with-'a faint voice, whidh-'we could fejU'cely hear,
<£ Dank‘ye, me Maflera!” but coifid-aidi^dlatri nothing
more. FOurgeoud ordered this? man ,to- be carried with
hits’ in a hammock -'and 'we -fdöfi afterwards ‘encamped
near ä biree^biree fwamp Qr' qUagmire. I iongh-t not'- to
forget that this day. we faw fome very
beingbeighty or a hundred feet high, !and prodigioufly
thick'; the trunk is sgrey and- very ftraighf, with no
ypanches till near tbeitopyon which-, the 'leaves »are dip*
pofed two to each Rem: this is' juftly called the king of
-the foreflv for ai finer.tree^ -cannot he. found*5 The timber
is of a beautiful cinnamon-colour* and poffefles every
defireable quality of gravity,- polifh, grain, «an'd“'durability.—
But what particularly- attracted soufel^ottCe* Was its
feed, like beans, three or. four in number,- enclofed’ in a
broad light-brown pod, that lay? fcaitered in quantities
at-the root of the tree, upon the ground^and. tailed like
fome kinds of gingerbread. From the -root-of this tree,
a gum exudes, which, properly prepared $ affords a var-
nilh hitherto unequalled for tranfparency and. effedt.
Innumerable indeed are the'various fine-trees that-this
country produces, and which may be had for the Cutting; '
yet, when we confider the diffance they ufually grow
from navigable rivers, the great labour in felling and
. w'orking