Golden-rod, which has a very straight stalk crowded from top to bottom with leaves, is sometimes four, sometimes five feet high, and adorned with a bright, yellow flower, abounds in the plains of Paraguay. Both its trunk, and leaves, boiled in water, and mixed with alum, afford painters, and dyers a most splendid yellow colour, and mixed with blue a very bright green. The same golden-rod is also of great, and various use amongst physicians. I remember a gentlewoman, who had been confined to her bed for years by some disease which baffled the skill of many physicians, being quickly, and happily cured, by a German, who prescribed the use of this medicine. There are many species of golden-rod, but I was acquainted with only one in Paraguay. ROOTS OF A RED COLOUR. The Guaranies in marshy places dig up roots called yzipò with a dusky surface, which they use to dye woollen, and cotton cloths of a dark red. Whether this root be the _rubia_ of dyers I cannot venture to affirm, for though that plant is cultivated in Austria, I never happened to see it. THE BARK CAATIGUÀ. The bark of the tree caatiguà, when dipped in water, imparts a pale red colour, and is chiefly used for dying leather. MATERIALS FOR A BLACK COLOUR. To dye cloth black, they make use either of a kind of alfaroba, which I have described elsewhere to be like the Egyptian tree acacia, of a well-known Paraguayrian herb, or of a rich, black clay. Though cotton will take a black dye, it will not hold it long; consequently the cotton dresses which we wore in Paraguay, became almost of no colour, and the blackness, by degrees, faded away. The Spanish ladies of St. Iago, and the Chiquito Indians have the art of dying cotton with a very lasting black, a secret unknown to every one else. A NAMELESS FRUIT AFFORDING A GREEN COLOUR. Walking in a wood on the banks of the Narahage I discovered a shrub, before unknown to me, covered with leaves of such a very bright green that I felt an inclination to taste them. I found them sweeter than sugar, and thought to use them for sweetening the herb of Paraguay. Applauding myself vastly, for what I thought so useful a discovery, I gave a leaf to the Spaniard, my companion, to taste; but he prudently declared, that he should take care not to eat, or even touch that strange plant. The Indian old women were consulted on this affair: they told us that these leaves were used for dying things green, but were very poisonous. WOODS USED FOR DYING. Woods, moreover, used for dying various colours, which are brought into Europe from Brazil, Guayana, and other countries of America, are found in that part of Paraguay, which borders on Brazil. The same may be observed with regard to roots, oils, juices, gums, rosins, kernels, &c. CARDONES, OR CEREI.