THE PALM-WOODS.
It happened, that upon the opposite side of the stream there was a broad
track covered with palm-trees, while not one was to be seen on that side
where they intended building their house. As these are the most
convenient trees for constructing a house to suit the hot climate of the
Montaña, it appeared necessary that they should use them. But how were
they to get at them? The stream flowed between them and the camp; and
although not a large river, yet at that place it was very wide and deep,
for in the flat table valley it expanded to the dimensions of a little
lake.
Below, where it issued out of the valley, it ran for some distance in a
deep cleft between rocky banks almost or quite perpendicular, and above
the valley it came dashing through an impassable ravine. If they could
only get over to cut the palms, they knew they could roll them to the
bank, and float them across the stretch of still water. But how to get
over required some consideration. Guapo could swim like a water-dog, but
Don Pablo could not; and Leon, having been brought up as a town boy, had
had but little practice, and consequently was but a poor swimmer. What,
then, was to be done, as Guapo could not well manage the palms without
help?
After examining the stream, both above and below, no crossing place
could be found, but just at the point where it ran out of the valley,
the space between the high banks was very narrow. A good long plank
would have reached across it--had they only had one--but that they had
not. Now, upon the opposite bank there grew a tall tree. It was one of
the beautiful silk-cotton trees already mentioned. It stood upon the
very edge of the chasm. Both Don Pablo and Guapo saw at a glance that
this tree could be felled, and made to fall across the stream, so as to
form the very bridge they wanted.
Not much time was lost about it. Guapo, tying his axe upon his
shoulders, ran up the near side, until he was opposite the still running
water; and then plunging in, swam across in a few seconds. He soon after
appeared on the opposite bank, at the root of the bombax, which he
attacked in such a manner that one who did not know what he was about
might have fancied he was angry at it. In a few minutes a great notch
appeared in the side of the tree, and Guapo continuing his sturdy blows,
made the yellow chips fly out in showers. Of course the notch was cut on
the side next the stream, so that the tree would fall in that direction.
The beaver understands that much, and Guapo had considerably more
intelligence than any beaver.
In about half-an-hour the bombax began to creak and lean a little. Then
Don Pablo threw over a lasso, which had been brought along. Guapo noosed
one end over a high limb, and tying a stone to the other, pitched it
back to Don Pablo, who hauled it taut. Then a few cuts of the axe broke
the skin of the tree on the other side, Don Pablo pulled by the rope,
and with a loud tear and a crash, and a vast deal of crackling among
the branches, the great bombax settled into a horizontal position across
the chasm. The bridge was built.
After all, it was no slight adventure to cross it. The rounded trunk was
anything but sure footing, and even had it been a flat plank, the depth
of the chasm--nearly an hundred feet clear--and the white roaring
torrent below, were enough to shake the stoutest nerves. All, however,
got over in safety, and proceeded up to the palm-woods. I say all--but I
mean only the male population of the new settlement. Doña Isidora and
the little Leona remained by the camp, both of them busy scraping
_yucca_ roots, to be manufactured into cassava, and then into bread.
On arriving among the palm-trees, Don Pablo was struck with a singular
fact. He observed (indeed, he had already noticed as much from the
opposite side of the river) that instead of one species of palm, there
were not less than a dozen kinds growing in this wood. This was a very
unusual circumstance, as although two or three species are often found
together, such a varied collection as were there could only have been
made by human hands. Here, again, was recognised the work of the
missionary monk, who had no doubt planted most of the species, having
received them very likely from many distant stations of his
fellow-labourers in other parts of the Amazon valley.
Whether Franciscan, Jesuit, or Dominican (for all three have had their
missions in this part of the world), the holy father who resided here,
thought Don Pablo, must have been an ardent horticulturist. Whether or
not he converted many Indians to his faith, he seemed to have exerted
himself to provide for their temporal necessities, for there was hardly
a useful plant or tree suitable to the climate that was not to be found
growing near the spot. Such were the reflections of Don Pablo.
"What a variety of beautiful palms!" said he, looking around upon these
by far the fairest forms of the vegetable creation.
Now, my boy reader, I have not the slightest doubt but that you, too,
think the palms the fairest forms of the vegetable creation. I have not
the shadow of a doubt that your heart beats joyfully at the very word
"palm;" that you love to gaze at one of the stately trees, and that you
would give all your pocket-money for an afternoon's ramble through a
real palm-wood. Would you not? Yes. I am sure of it. Now I could tell
you a great deal about palms if I _would_; and I would, too, if my space
and time allowed me, but neither will, alas! Why, if I were only to give
you even the shortest and dryest botanic description of all the
different palms that are known to us, that mere dry catalogue would fill
a book as big as this one!
How many species do you think there are? Up to this time you have
thought, perhaps, there was only one, and that was _the palm-tree
itself_. Maybe you have heard of more, such as the sago-palm, the
cocoa-nut palm, the date-palm, or the cabbage-palm; and you fancied
there might be others--perhaps as many as a dozen! Now you will hardly
credit me when I tell you that we know of no less than _six hundred
species of palms_, all differing from each other! I may add, further,
that it is my belief that there exist on the earth as many more--that
is, the enormous number of twelve hundred.
The reason why I entertain this belief is, that in all cases where
similar guesses have been hazarded--whether with regard to plants, or
birds, or _mammalia_--they have eventually proved far below the mark;
and as the palm countries are the very regions of the earth least known
and least explored by botanists, it is but reasonable to conclude that
great numbers of species have never yet been described, nor even seen.
Another fact which strengthens this probability is, that peculiar
species of palms are sometimes found only in a limited district, and
nowhere else in the same country. A small river even sometimes forms the
boundary-line of a species; and although whole groves may be seen on the
one side, not a tree of the same sort grows on the other. Some botanists
even prognosticate that more than two thousand species of palms will yet
become known.
Of the six hundred species known, about half belong to the Old World,
and half to America. In America they are chiefly found growing on the
Continent--although several species are natives of the West India
Islands--while on the Eastern hemisphere the greatest number of species
belong to the islands.
I might tell you a great deal of the importance of these noble trees to
the human race, for they are as useful as they are beautiful. Almost
every sort has its particular use in the economy of human life. Not only
do they serve certain purposes in Africa, Asia, America, and Oceanica,
but in all these divisions of the earth there are whole nations who
_live almost exclusively_ upon one or another species of palm.
A discovery has lately been made in regard to an African species, which
it is to be hoped will have an important influence in doing away with
the infamous slave traffic so long existing in that unhappy country. You
have heard of _palm-oil_. Well, it is extracted from the nuts of a
species of palm. The oil is no new discovery, but it is only lately that
it has been found to be as quite as good for the manufacture of candles
as either spermaceti or wax.
The consequence has been a great increase in the traffic of this article
on the western coast of Africa; and the native princes, finding that it
is more profitable than slave-selling, have in many parts given up the
last-named atrocious commerce, and have taken to gathering palm-oil. If
a palm-tree can effect what has baffled the skill of the combined
philanthropists and powers of Europe, then, indeed, we shall say, "All
honour to the noble palms."
But I might go on talking of palms until our little volume came to an
end. I must, therefore, no longer speak generally of these beautiful
trees, but confine myself to such species as came under the observation,
and ministered to the wants, of the new settlers.