Page:The Present State and Prospects of the Port Phillip District of New South Wales.djvu/134

 met with in a book of directions for pencil drawing, which states that the same handling may be used for the main body of the foliage of every tree, reserving the distinctive touches for such parts as come sharp off the light, and more particularly for the stem. All the varieties of the Eucalyptus family produce a highly astringent gum or resin, which varies slightly in the different kinds. It is not transparent in any, is very brittle, and not adhesive. The gum tree is also remarkable for producing manna, which (though quite different from the manna of commerce) answers completely to that described by Moses as the food of the children of Israel in the wilderness. It is found in the mornings under the trees, and disappears in the heat of the day. It occurs in small masses, resembling in form and colour pieces of ordinary starch, though scarcely so large or so white. The taste is very much that of macaroons, sweet, with a flavour of bitter almonds. I say this is distilled from the gum tree, though many people suppose that it is secreted by an insect, known to the settlers as the locust, though not really of that family. My reason for imagining this to be an unfounded supposition is, that I have found manna under trees when there had not been a locust in the neighbourhood for months; in short, I think I have established a clear alibi. The leaves of all these trees are highly aromatic when bruised. Next in importance to the Eucalyptus family come the Mimosas. Of these there are nine varieties with which I am acquainted in the Port Phillip district, and I know that there are several more; of these the principal is the lightwood or