. Personal narrative of explorations and incidents in Texas, New Mexico, California, Sonora, and Chihuahua : connected with the United States and Mexican Boundary Commission, during the years 1850, '51, '52, and '53 . the end of the leaf, whichis capable of inflicting a severe wound, and which soonteaches the incautious traveller to give them a wideberth. While some have no stem at all, others havea trunk twenty-five or thirty feet high and from twoto three feet in diameter. The largest specimens wesaw were near Parras, where the table-lands are cov-ered with them. This species throws out at t
. Personal narrative of explorations and incidents in Texas, New Mexico, California, Sonora, and Chihuahua : connected with the United States and Mexican Boundary Commission, during the years 1850, '51, '52, and '53 . the end of the leaf, whichis capable of inflicting a severe wound, and which soonteaches the incautious traveller to give them a wideberth. While some have no stem at all, others havea trunk twenty-five or thirty feet high and from twoto three feet in diameter. The largest specimens wesaw were near Parras, where the table-lands are cov-ered with them. This species throws out at the topten or a dozen branches which are bent in all possibledirections. A plain covered with yuccas presents abeautiful appearance when in flower with their purewhite blossoms arranged in pyramidal spikes severalfeet in length. The Mexicans and Indians put thedifferent species to various domestic uses. The leavesof the narrower kinds are made into baskets, and the TO SALTILLO. 491 fibres of the leaves are twisted into coarse ropes. Thetrunks of the large species are used in the absence ofother timber as palings for making inclosures, or aresplit into slabs to serve for covering the rude housesof the Yucca Tree. Some species bear an edible fruit cailed by theMexicans latiros. These are about the size and shapeof the banana, and when fully ripe are very sweet andpalatable. The tender portion of the stem near wherethe leaves are produced is roasted and eaten under thename of quiote ; but it is rather stringy and of our party saw at an Apache camp a pot-full of 492 PARRAS the flowers boiling for food. The uncooked flowershave quite a bitter taste; but this may probably beremoved by boiling. The roots of a narrow-leavedspecies called amole are used, instead- of soap, for wash-ing clothes; bruised between stones, they afford amucilage when rubbed upon the clothes, which seemsto possess considerable detergent properties. Theroot is generally kept for sale in th
Size: 1529px × 1635px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade185, booksubjectindiansofnorthamerica
