Of the tree called yagnaguy, which the Christians call black wood in the Mainland and the Nicaraguan province.

Translated by Ella Nguyen ’23

Yagnaguy is the best and strongest wood found in many of these parts. The tree, its fruit and flowers, and other peculiarities of it, were mentioned in Chapter XXX, where cacao or cacaguat was described, since these trees are planted to protect the cacao trees, so there is nothing more to say here in addition to what was said there. It is a tree that does not rot, as time does not corrupt it, no matter how long it remains in the soil or out of it. It is very hard and so heavy that it does not float on water, but goes to the bottom right away, as if it were made of stone or iron. I include it here because it seemed to me unreasonable to leave it between the lines and not described by itself, since, from what I said before, it would seem that it is just an accessory used for protecting cocoa trees from the sun and air. But even if that is so, this is the best tree known for making posts, which in certain parts they call stakes, and for beams in house buildings; and although the Christians in Nicaragua call it black wood, it is not black, but a deep russet color with a black core, which resembles the guayacan itself.