VI PREFACE. 



indebted to the magnificent work of Dr. Martius. To 

 the botanist I trust my little book may be of some use, 

 in giving accurate figures of many entire plants, of 

 which he is only acquainted with small portions, and in 

 supplying an account of the uses to which they are 

 applied in the distant regions where they grow. And 

 to the general reader I hope it may not be uninteresting, 

 as exhibiting a glimpse of a wild and rude people in 

 the lowest state of civilization, whose existence is inti- 

 mately connected with the products of the surrounding- 

 forests, among which the plants under consideration 

 hold so prominent a place ; and of these it is hoped the 

 accompanying Plates will give a more accurate idea 

 than the stereotyped figures which often represent the 

 " feathery palm trees M in our popular works. 



Some of the fruits of which I had no drawings, have 

 been figured from specimens in the Museum at Kew 

 collected by Mr. R. Spruce, who is still investigating 

 the Botany of the Amazon valley. 



London, October 1853. 



