Year: 1860

This extraordinary tree appears to be peculiar
to the Cordieras of the coast, particularly from
Barbados TO the lake Of Maracaybo. At Cau-
cagna the natives call the tree which furnishes
this nourshing juice, the milk Tree The
leaves are about ten inches in length and of
leathery consistence The fruit is feshy, and
contains two or three nuts. When incisions
are made in the trunk of the COW tree, it Yields
abundance of a glutpous milk, tolerablv thick
and of an agreeable balsamic smell. The fol-
lowing account of the milk tree of Demerara is
condensed from an interesting letter received
by Professor jameson from James Smith, ESQ.,


sin late excursion up the river Demerara,
it was my good fortune to fall in, certainly not
with the same kind of tree, but with one pos
seS>irg the mild, milky qualities ascribed by
Humboldt to the Palo de Vaca CHANGED to
stop at thc-li'te Indian settlement of Byawa-
danny, and there was told of tree, called by
the natives !lya-liya, the milk of which was
both dinkable and nutritious. | was then in
company with Mr.. Couchman, the superintend-
ent OF a wood cutting establishment in the i'm
mediate viciniy. We had sent lad 10 search
around for the tree, and he returned in short
time TO tell US he had met with it. We follow
ed him o the spot. and found that he had felled
the tree. 1t had fallen across a little rivuet,
the water of which, when we arrived, was COM
pletely whitened with its juice. On sticking a
knife into the bark, copious stream of milk
like fluid Immediately followed. Our guide
drank Of it, and Mr.. Couchman and / tasted it
after him. 1t was thicker and richer than cows
milk, and destitute of all acrimony, leaving on
ly slight feeling of clamminess on the lips. |
had already seen it mix freely with the water of
the little stream, and, as | slept that night near
the spot, the next morning we drank it in warm
coffee. With this it mingled equally well, and
lost all lis viscosy before perceptible in its pure
state so much so, as to appear to us incapable
of being distinguished from animal milk Mr.
Couchman was determined, he said to use il as
substitute for milk at his little woodland set
tlement. a variety of experiments have tend
ed to confirm me in my opinion. that it in no
way differs in quality from the vegetable milk
OF the COW tree, yet it is plain that it is not the
tree described by Humboldt.


81 am not aware that the Hya- Hya has, eth
er under its Indian or any other appelation,
been ever made known. The Indians inform
me that it is by no means uncommon in the
woods Of this colony; may therefore hope TO
procure the fruit. The tree was fortunately
coming into flower when discovered it, two
specimens of which, together with the wood and
bark, and a small bottle of the milk, forward
along with this, and beg to have them submit
ted to your own, as well as the examinations of
your scientific friends. The milk has now been
in bottle thirty-siX days it did not commence
to curde before the seventh day after it was ta-
ken from the tree. and even then the process
seemed exceedingly slow; so much so, that on
the twelfth day used some of another portion,
bottled at the same time, in tea, without its be-
ing distinguished from animal milk by those
who drank it,"