on their outer sides small knots, from which grow five extremely sharp pointed thorns, about one-third o f an inch in length.* T he stalk is at first soft and succulent, but becomes hard in a few years, when the plant assumes the above mentioned form, and may then be considered at its maturi ty ; i f cut in this state with a sword, it emits a large quantity o f corrosive, lacteous ju ice , which, if squeezed between the fingers, will excoriate; when old, the plant withers, and this ju ic e becomes d ry , and turns to powder. The inhabitants o f those parts o f the lower regions o f A tla s make incisions in the branches o f the plants with a knife, whence the ju ic e issues, which, after being heated b y the sun, becomes a substance o f a whitish y ellow colour, and in the month o f September drops off, and forms the gum E u - phorbium. The plants produce abundantly once only in four years, but this fourth y e a r ’s produce is more than all Europe can consume ; it being a ve ry powerful cathartic. T h e people who collect the gum, are obliged to tie a cloth o v e r their mouth- and nostrils, to prevent the small|dusty particles from annoying them, as they produce incessant sneezing. , T h e branches o f the plant are brought to Mogodor, for the use o f the tanners, by the boats which go from thence to A g a - deer jw h e r e it abounds), and to it probably the Marocco leather- owes its reputed pre-eminence. It is also in great request among the women, as a depilatory. T hou gh the plant abounds at A g a - deer, y et, either from the nature o f the soil, or the climate not being sufficiently hot, it is stunted, and never comes to perfection. During the three {years I resided there, I never saw any- * These adhere to every thing which touches them, and seem to have been intended by nature, to prevent cattle from eating this caustic plant, which they- always avoid on. account of its prickles.
27f 39
To see the actual publication please follow the link above