An Account of the Abipones, an Equestrian People of Paraguay, (1 of 3)Dobrizhoffer, Martin
History
An Account of the Abipones, an Equestrian People of Paraguay, (1 of 3)
Dobrizhoffer, Martin
Abipon Indians; Jesuits -- Missions; Paraguay -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800
The zuyñandỹ, a large, lofty tree, consists of a soft wood, a thick bark
turgid with copious moisture, and red flowers which seem to be composed
of one large expanded leaf, as soft as silk. The bark, when stripped of
the rough outer skin, and properly ground, is of much efficacy in
healing wounds inflicted by the teeth or claws of a tiger.
THE ZAMUÛ.
The zamuû is ridiculous both in name and form; for the Spaniards call it
_palo borracho_, the drunken tree. It is lofty. It has a trunk
surrounded with largish thorns, and bears middle-sized flowers of a
beautiful red colour, but is of very singular appearance in other
respects. For the highest and lowest parts of the trunk are small, while
the middle swells out to a great width, like a barrel: on which account
its very soft wood is easily made into tubs, and barrels. The farther
this tree grows from rivers the wider it swells, so great is its dislike
to water. It bears a round fruit like certain large gourds, with a very
strong rind, which fruit, when ripe, bursts open and discovers woolly
flakes, like cotton, and softer than silk, but with so short a fibre
that it is very difficult to draw them out into a thread. The thorns of
this tree when bruised to powder, and boiled, tinge the water with a red
colour which is said to cure sore eyes.
THE MANGAỸ.
The mangaỹ is about the size of a cherry-tree, and bears white flowers,
which exhale a very delightful odour. It produces fruit of a golden
colour, and equal in size to a large plum, which, when ripe, are
agreeable to the taste, but hurtful to the stomach. Both the tree and
the fruit overflow with a kind of milky, and resinous juice, called
mangaỹci, in the Guarany tongue, which streams out plentifully, when you
cut the bark, and is caught by the hand, or by a board. The air curdles
it, and gives it the appearance of a little skin. In this state, it is
rolled up into balls, which are so remarkably elastic, that when thrown
lightly upon the ground they leap up very high in the air. This liquor,
mangaỹci, is said to be very useful in cases of dysentery. It is much to
be lamented that so very few take the trouble to collect this rosin,
which would be useful in Europe in various ways.
DRAGON'S-BLOOD.
The tree caà verà, which produces the dragon's-blood, is middle-sized
both as to height and bulk. Some botanists call these trees _palmæ
pruniferæ foliis jaccæ_, but in my opinion they have no affinity
whatever with palms. When a deep incision is made into their trunks, a
kind of juice flows from them, resembling blood in colour and
consistence, and which, when boiled on the fire, condenses into a
liver-coloured rosin. Physicians complain that foreign traders sell them
goat's-blood, bolo, or red Brazil wood, mixed with gum arabic, for
dragon's-blood.
THE CUPAỸ.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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