by Mayne Reid
CHAPTER TEN.
THE FOOD OF THE SILKWORM.
After leaving Bayou Crocodile, our young hunters travelled due west,over the prairies of Opelousas. They did not expect to fall in withbuffalo on these great meadows. No. The bison had long since forsakenthe pastures of Opelousas, and gone far westward. In his placethousands of long horned cattle roamed over these plains; but these,although wild enough, belonged to owners, and were all marked and tendedby mounted herdsmen. There were white settlements upon the prairies ofOpelousas, but our adventurers did not go out of their way to visitthem. Their purpose was to get far beyond; and they did not wish tolose time.
They crossed numerous bayous and rivers, generally running southwardinto the Mexican Gulf. The shallow ones they forded, while those thatwere too deep for fording, they swam over upon their horses. Theythought nothing of that--for their horses, as well as the mule Jeanetteand the dog Marengo, were all trained to swim like fishes.
After many days' travel they reached the banks of the river Sabine,which divides Louisiana from Texas, then a part of the Mexicanterritory. The face of the country was here very different from most ofthat they had passed over. It was more hilly and upland; and thevegetation had altogether changed. The great dark cypress haddisappeared, and pines were more abundant. The forests were lighter andmore open.
There was a freshet in the Sabine; but they swam across it, as they haddone other rivers, and halted to encamp upon its western bank. It wasstill only a little after noon, but as they had wet their baggage incrossing, they resolved to remain by the river for the rest of the day.They made their camp in an open space in the midst of a grove of lowtrees. There were many open spaces, for the trees stood wide apart, andthe grove looked very much like a deserted orchard. Here and there atall magnolia raised its cone-shaped summit high above the rest, and ahuge trunk of one of these, without leaves or branches, appeared at somedistance, standing like an old ruined tower.
The ground was covered with flowers of many kinds. There were bluelupins and golden helianthi. There were malvas and purple monardas, andflowers of the cotton-rose, five inches in diameter. There wereblossoms of vines, and creeping plants, that twined around the trees, orstretched in festoons from one to another--the cane-vine with its whiteclusters, and the raccoon grape, whose sweet odours perfumed the air;but by far the most showy were the large blossoms of the bignonia, thatcovered the festoons with their trumpet-shaped corollas, exhibitingbroad surfaces of bright scarlet.
In the midst of these flowers our hunters pitched camp, picketing theiranimals, and putting up their tent as usual.
The sun was shining brightly, and they proceeded to spread their wetrobes and blankets.
"It strikes me," said Lucien, after they had completed theirarrangements for camping, "that we have halted on the site of an oldIndian town."
"Why do you think so?" asked Basil.
"Why, I notice these heaps of rubbish here that are covered with weedsand briars. They are Indian graves, or piles of decayed logs wherehouses once stood. I can tell from the trees, too. Look around! do yousee anything peculiar in these trees?"
"Nothing," replied Basil and Francois together. "Nothing, except thatthey are mostly small and low."
"Do you not observe anything odd in their species?"
"No," said Basil. "I think I have seen them all before. There aremulberry-trees, and black walnuts, and Chicasaw plums, and pawpaws, andOsage orange, and shell-bark hickories, and pecans, and honey-locusts.I see no others except vines, and those great magnolias. I have seenall these trees before."
"Yes," returned Lucien, "but have you ever observed them all growingtogether in this way?"
"Ah! that is a different affair: I believe not."
"Because it is from that fact," continued Lucien, "that I am led tobelieve this spot was once the seat of an Indian settlement. Thesetrees, or others that produced them, have been planted here, and by theIndians."
"But, brother Luce," interposed Francois, "I never heard that theIndians of these parts made such settlements as this must have been.These low woods extend down the river for miles. They must have had alarge tract under cultivation."
"I think," replied Lucien, "the Indians who at present inhabit thisregion never planted these trees. It is more likely a settlement of theancient nation of the Natchez."
"The Natchez! Why, that is the name of a town on the Mississippi, but Idid not know there were Indians of that name."
"Neither are there now; but there once was a very extensive tribe socalled who occupied the whole territory of Louisiana. It is said that,like the Mexicans and Peruvians, they had made some progress incivilisation, and knew how to weave cloth and cultivate the soil. Theyare now an extinct race."
"How came that about?"
"No one can tell. Some of the old Spanish authors say that they weredestroyed by Indians from South America. This story, however, is veryabsurd--as is, indeed, most of what has been written by these same oldSpanish authors, whose books read more like the productions of childrenthan of reasoning men. It is far more likely that the Natchez wereconquered by the Creeks and Chicasaws, who came from the south-west oftheir country; and that the remnant of their tribe became blended withand lost among the conquerors. In my opinion, this is how they havecome to be extinct. Why, then, should not this be one of their ancientsettlements, and these trees the remains of their orchards, cultivatedby them for their fruits and other uses?"
"But _we_ make but little use of such trees," remarked Francois.
"What's that you say?" exclaimed Basil. "You, Francois, who every yeareat such quantities of shell-bark nuts, and pecans, and red mulberries,too!--you who suck persimmons like a 'possum!--no use, eh?"
"Well, that's true enough," rejoined Francois, "but still we do notcultivate these trees for their fruits--we find them in the woods,growing naturally."
"Because," interrupted Lucien, "we have the advantage of the Indians.We understand commerce, and get other and better sorts of fruits fromall parts of the world. We have cereals, too, such as wheat and rice,and many kinds which they had not; we can therefore do without thesetrees. With the Indians it was different. It is true they had theIndian corn or maize-plant (_Zea maiz_), but, like other people, theywere fond of variety; and these trees afforded them that. The Indiannations who lived within the tropics had variety enough. In fact, nopeople without commerce could have been better off in regard tofruit-bearing plants and trees than the Aztecs, and other tribes of theSouth. The Natchez, however, and those in the temperate zone, had theirtrees and plants as well--such as those we see before us--and from thesethey drew both necessary food, and luxurious fruits and beverages.Indeed the early colonists did the same; and many settlers in remoteplaces make use to this day of these spontaneous productions of Nature."
"Would it not be interesting, Basil," said Francois, appealing to hiselder brother, "if Lucien would give a botanical description of allthese trees, and tell us their uses? He knows all that."
"Yes," replied Basil, "I should like to hear it."
"That I shall do with pleasure," said Lucien. "Not, however, a_botanical_ description, according to the sense of the Linnean school,as that would weary you soon enough, without adding much to your stockof information. I shall only state what I know of their properties anduses; and I may remark that there is not a tree or plant that is notintended for some use in the economy of Nature. If botanists had spenttheir time in trying to discover these uses, instead of wasting it inidle classifications, mankind would have been more enriched by theirlabours.
"Let us begin, then, with the mulberry-tree, as there are many of themgrowing around. Were I to tell you all about this valuable tree, Ishould occupy a day or more. I shall only state those facts about itthat are most interesting.
"The mulberry-trees form the genus _morus_--for this was the name bywhich they were known to the ancient Greeks. Of this genus there areseveral well-known species. No doubt there
may be other species growingin wild countries, and yet unknown or undescribed by botanists; and thisremark applies as well to other trees, for every day we hear of newvarieties being discovered by enterprising explorers.
"First, then, comes the white mulberry (_Morus alia_). It is the mostimportant species yet known. This you will readily admit when I tellyou that from it comes all our silk--spun out of it by the silkworm(_Bombyx mori_). It is called white mulberry on account of the colourof its fruit, which, however, is not always white, but sometimes of apurple or black colour. Now it would be difficult to give an exactdescription of a white mulberry-tree; for, like the apple and peartrees, there are many varieties of it produced from the same seeds, andalso by difference of soil and climate. It is a small tree, however,rarely growing over forty feet high, with thick leaves and numerousbranches. The leaves are the most important part of it--for it is uponthese the silkworms feed, spinning their fine threads out of the milkyjuice, which in its properties resembles the juice of the caoutchouctree. It is true that the silkworm will feed upon the other species ofmulberries, and also upon slippery elms, figs, lettuce, beets, endive,and many kinds of leaves besides; but the silk made from all these is ofan inferior quality; and even the varieties of the white mulberry itselfproduce different qualities of this beautiful material.
"This tree has other uses. Its wood is compact and heavy, weighingforty-four pounds to the cubic foot. In France it is much used inturnery; and wine-casks are made from it, as it gives to white wines anagreeable flavour of violets. Vine-props and fences are made from itsbranches; and out of its bark--by a process which I have not time todescribe--a cloth can be manufactured almost as fine as silk itself.The fruit of the white mulberry--where it grows in warm climates--isvery good to eat, and makes an excellent syrup.
"The white mulberry, it is supposed, first came from China, where it isstill found growing wild; and the Chinese first cultivated it forfeeding silkworms as early as 2700 years before the Christian era. Thetree is now found in every civilised country, growing either as anornament of the shrubbery, or for the manufacture of silk.
"The next species is the black mulberry (_Morus nigra_), so called onaccount of the colour of its fruit, which is of a dark purple, nearlyblack. This kind came originally from Persia, but is now, like thewhite mulberry, found in all civilised countries. It is cultivated morefor ornament and shade than for feeding silkworms; though it is put tothis use in some parts, especially in cold climates, where the otherspecies does not thrive. They are easily distinguished from eachother--the bark of the black being much rougher and darker. The wood ofthe latter is not so firm nor heavy as the white, but it is alsodurable, and is used in England for hoops, wheels, and ribs of smallvessels. In Spain, Italy, and Persia, they prefer the leaves of theblack for feeding the silkworm. They are also eaten by cattle, sheep,and goats. The roots when prepared are used as a vermifuge. The fruithas a pleasant aromatic taste; and is eaten both raw and in preserves,or mixed with cider makes an agreeable drink. The Greeks distil a clearweak brandy out of them; and in France they make a wine from thesemulberries--which must be drunk while it is new, as it soon turns tovinegar. This fruit is good for fevers and rheumatisms; and it is muchsought after by birds and all kinds of poultry, who devour it greedily.
"So much for the white and black mulberry-tree. We now come to thethird species, the red (_Morus rubra_).
"That is the red before your face," continued Lucien, pointing to thetrees, which he had already designated. "It is so called from thefruit, which, as you know, are of a dark red colour, and resemble redraspberries more than anything in the world. Some of these trees, yousee, are nearly seventy feet in height, though it usually does not reachso high. You notice the leaves. The are heart-shaped, many of them teninches long, and nearly as broad as long. They are dark green andrough, and for feeding the silkworm quite useless where the whitemulberry grows. They form a delightful shade, however; and this is oneof the uses of this beautiful tree. The fruit, too, is, in my opinion--and I think Francois will agree with me--quite equal to the bestraspberries. As for the wood, it is much used in the dockyards of theSouthern states. It is of a pale lemon colour; and is considered moredurable for trenails than any other--that of the locust excepted.
"The red mulberry, like the white and black species, runs into severalvarieties, differing considerably from each other.
"There is still a fourth species of this genus, called the papermulberry (_Morus papyrifera_). This, however, has been separated bybotanists into another genus; but it is worth a word here, as it is avery curious and valuable tree, or, rather, a large shrub, for it doesnot grow so tall as either of the other three. It is a native of China,Japan, and the islands of the Pacific Ocean; but, like the others, it iscultivated for ornament both in Europe and America. Its fruit, which isof a scarlet colour, is globe-shaped, and not oblong, as that of thetrue mulberries; and this is one reason why it has been separated into agenus by itself. Its leaves are of no use for silk-making, but theymake excellent food for cattle; and as the tree grows rapidly, andcarries such large bunches of leaves, some people have said that itwould yield better than grass, and should be cultivated for pasture. Ido not know whether this has been tried yet. The most interesting partof the paper mulberry is its bark, which is used in the manufacture ofpaper both in China and Japan. The beautiful India paper used forengravings is made from it, and so, too, is the fine white cloth worn bythe natives of the Society Islands, and which so much astonishedEuropeans when they first saw it. It would be interesting to detail theprocess of manufacturing this cloth as well as the paper, but it wouldtake up too much of our time at present.
"There is another genus of trees which resembles the mulberries verymuch. They are valuable for their wood, which produces a fine yellowdye, known by the name of `fustic-wood.' The tree that produces thebest of this dye is the _Morus tinctoria_, and grows in the West Indiesand tropical America; but there is a species found in the southernUnited States, of an inferior kind, which produces the `bastard fustic'of commerce.
"So much, then, for the mulberry-tree; but I fear, brothers, I have leftbut little time to describe the others."
"Oh! plenty of time," said Basil; "we have nothing else to do. We arebetter learning from you than rambling idly about; and upon my word,Luce, you make me begin to take an interest in botany."
"Well, I am glad of that," rejoined Lucien, "for I hold it to be ascience productive of much good, not only on account of its utility inthe arts and manufactures, but to the mind of the student himself; for,in my belief, it has a refining influence."
And Lucien was about to continue his description of the trees, when aseries of incidents occurred which put an end to the conversation, atleast upon that subject.
These incidents are recorded in the chapter which follows.
