storehouses of the bees are the hollow trunks of lofty trees. The Spaniards of St. Iago prefer to every other kind that found on the cardones. With the Guaranies, and all just estimators, the first place is given to the _eỹrobáña_, the sweetest and most transparent of all honey, which, when poured into a glass, could not be distinguished from water. The same honey, if found on the fragrant wood of the tree ybir̂apayè is then decidedly the best, and excels all other honey as the sun does the lesser stars. In Paraguay, in the winter months the Abipones think honey extremely unwholesome, and carefully abstain from eating it. The Spaniards of St. Iago go out in crowds to seek honey and wax in distant woods; and after whitening it with immense labour in the sun, sell it to the people of Peru and Chili, with hardly moderate profits. To discover and rifle the beehives concealed in the woods is a matter of little difficulty to the Abipones, who, when the sky is clear, and the sun bright, ride out on horseback into the country. Being possessed of wonderfully quick eyesight, they perceive the bees flying about, and leaving their horse at the bank of a river, pursue them on foot till they see what tree they enter: this they climb with all the agility of apes, open a hole by way of a door, and as a mark of the hive, take out the honey and wax into a leathern bag, and carry it home, where their friends, wives, and children soon consume these adventitious sweets, either by eating them like ambrosia, or drinking them like nectar. But if a general drinking-party be appointed on any occasion, the honey they bring is mixed with cold water, and stirred for a little while with a stick; when, without addition of any other ferment, it effervesces, froths, and becomes wine in the space of some hours, and taken even in small quantities intoxicates the Indians like very pure wine: for we have found two or three cups sufficient to upset their naturally imbecile minds. Wax is scarce ever used amongst the Indians: for the fire, which is always kept alive on the floor of the hut, serves to dress the food by day, and supplies the place of a candle by night. SALT.