1S38.J PRODUCTS OF THE COUNTRY. 51 



juvia,* the cassada, the mahogany, and the macaw tree. In 

 many sections of the country, and particularly on the upper 

 waters of the Amazon, there are miniature forests, or groves, 

 of cacao, of surpassing beauty. 



Besides the rich cabinet and dye-woods found in the 

 Brazilian forests, the finest timber for ship-building is also 

 obtained in abundance. Excellent cordage resisting the 

 action of water, is manufactured of the fibres of the palm 

 tree. From the nuts, or seeds, of the cacao, the preparations 

 known as cocoa and chocolate, are made ; this tree, sometimes 

 called the chocolate-tree, is a species of theobroma, growing 

 about twenty feet high, and bearing oval and pointed pods, 

 in which are the numerous seeds imbedded in a white, pithy 

 substance. The mango produces a fruit as large as an 

 orange, and resembling the egg plant in shape ; it has a thick 

 outer rind, beneath which is the fruit, of a fine golden color, 

 surrounding a pit two inches long, to which it adheres, and 

 possessing the mingled flavor of pine-apple and spruce. 



The agave, here called furcrcea, from its long furcated 

 leaves, attains its highest state of perfection in this climate. 

 Prominent among the other plants and shrubs, are the nu- 

 merous varieties of the orchis tribe, with their odorous and 

 beautiful flowers, the vochysia and its gorgeous yellow blos- 

 soms, the cupheas with their clusters of lilac and purple, the 

 lobelias and their long blue spikes, the towering organum, 

 the anil, or indigo plant, the vanilla, the sarsaparilla, and the 

 coffee-tree. Until of late years, the indigo plant was not 

 very extensively cultivated in Brazil: it is usually planted 

 towards the latter part of March, twelve pounds of seed 

 being allotted to the acre, and if the season is favorable, it 

 will be ready to cut by the first of July. The maturity of 

 the plant, is indicated by the bursting forth of the flower- 

 buds, and the expansion of the blossoms. Two croppings are 

 taken during the year. The indigo is extracted by steeping 

 the dried leaves and stems, or by allowing them to ferment 

 when fresh ; the former process being considered the most 



* The Brazil nut is the fruit of the Juvia. 



