Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-08-18

hrst brought into notice during the reign
of Queen Elizabeth But those early dyers
did not know how to "set" the color, and !
it faded SO badly that finally the sale Of
cloth dyed with it was prohibited by Act |
OF Parliament. BY and by science put on |
Its thinking-cap and found a means Of fix |
ing the color, and then the prohihitpry |
Act was repealed lin 1861, since which |
time it has been in constant use.
1t is also one of the ingredients in both |
black and red ink, though for the latter
Brazil wood IS more commonly employed.
Probably it is called loguood because the
crystalline matter is always imported in
logs, usually about four feet long and
eighteen inches in diameter, the larger
they are, the greater being their value.
During the rainy season the logwood
forests are generally fooded-though some
times the tree is found on the hills, as well
as in the marshy lowlands. The cutting
begins with the dry season.; and when the
rains set in, the collected wood is carried
to the embd1 cadero, or wharf, of the nearest
river or lagoon, and floated down to port,
te be laden in foreign vessels.
Seated in hammecks, under the largest
Of the palmetto sheds, we partook of
desayuno light bTeakfast) of stewed beans
and hot tortillas using the latter as scoops
with which to eat the former-there being
neither spoons Tor forks-washing down
the repast with eocoa-milk and coffee.
Observing that there were but eight
hammocks and more than twice that num-
Der of people residing in the camp, | in
| quired how they all managed to sleep, and
was informed that in this country, for one
person to occupy a whole hammock alone
| by himself, was considered very lonesome
business, not TO say an act of selfish extray-
agance. 1t is customary for two or three
persons-sometimes even four-to sleep to-
gether in one of the larger hammocks,
packed "heads and points" like sardines.
As the first one lies down he carefully
takes up only his share, measured longi-
tudinally, leaving the remainder for his
companions. The next one puts his feet
parallel with the others head, and all are
as snug as so many bugs in a rug-though
if anybody kicks the others must look out
| for their countenances.
On the way back to the landing we
made detoir to inspect mound of shells,
constructed by some vanished race The
trees that surrounded it were small COM
pared to the colossal growths at a little
distance, indicating that it once stood in
the midst of a clearing. Not even ira
dition remains to tell its story-nothing
but heap of shells, surrounded and COW
cred by cocoa-palms, the home of snakes
and lizards.
In the more open spaces Of the forest
the sarsaparilla plant hourishes-a vine
like shrub, with thorny stalk and fruit of
acid taste, resembling mulberries. We
also found wild potatoes-a small plant,
covered with oval-shaped leaves and soft,
greenish berries. The wriukled tubercles
did not look much like northern potatoes,
but the NEAR" sighted naturalist assured
us that this is really the origin of this
valuable plant, for which Europe is in
debted TO America.
Near the rivers bank we came upon an
enormous ant-hill, which so interested our
scientific friend that he would have re-
manned there till this moment had not the
big Captain at last dragged him forcibly
away. To him we are indebted for the
information that ants are related to the
bee family (order Hymenoptera), and that
besides the males and females, there are
neuter, or working ants Both males and
females are born with wings: but after the
AStudlSS nave IdIO IIlciI tSSS lDey drop OIL
these useless appendages ana go to work
like worthy matrons, taking care of the
young ones and helping to collect pro
visions for the family. But the males
according to accounts, are simply orna-
mental.
The colony we found were very busy
stripping a young tree Of its leaves and
boarding them up in their store houses
useless precaution, for these remain torpid
all through the wet season. The moving
column was divided into two regular
ranks going contrary ways, one advancing
toward their hill, laden with leaves, the
other returning to the tree with empty
mandibles. Each little mite, marching
along in perfect order, dragged a load ten
times larger than himself, and returning
as fast as he could, crawled up the tree
whose lower limbs were already stripped
of foliage.
As we looked, big black shape came
stealthily out OF the forest, which took to
be bear, and turned in terror to flee. The
naturalist, however, recognized it at a
glance to be an ant-eater, Myrmecophaga
ju6dtd, he called it, though so ugly a
| creature scarcely deserves such high
sounding name. Slowly it climbed the
tree, darling out its long, fiat, Shiny
tongue, licking up the ants by hundreds,
| then slid down the tree and disappeared
into the forest. FANNIE B. WARD.
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