Cuap. V. PASHIUBA PALM. 97 
plumes between us and the sky. One kind of palm, the Pashitiba 
(Iriartea exorhiza), which grows here in greater abundance than else- 
where, was especially attractive. It is not one of the tallest kinds, for 
when full-grown its height is not more, perhaps, than forty feet: the 
leaves are somewhat less drooping, and the leaflets much broader than 
in other species, so that they have not that feathery appearance which 
those of some palms have, but still they possess their own peculiar 
beauty. My guide put me ashore in one place to show me the roots. 
of the Pashitiba. These grow above ground, radiating from the trunk 
many feet above the surface, so that the tree looks as if supported on 
stilts ; and a person can, in old trees, stand upright amongst the roots 
with the perpendicular stem wholly above his head. It adds to the 
singularity of their appearance that these roots, which have the form of 
straight rods, are studded with stout thorns, whilst the trunk of the 
tree is quite smooth. The purpose of this curious arrangement is, 
perhaps, similar to that of the buttress roots already described—namely, 
to recompense the tree by root growth above the soil for its inability, 
in consequence of the competition of neighbouring roots, to extend it 
underground. ‘The great amount of moisture and nutriment contained 
in the atmosphere may also favour these growths. 
On returning to the house, I found Petzell had been well occupied 
during the hot hours of the day collecting insects in a neighbouring 
clearing. He had obtained no less than six species new to me of the 
beautiful family of Longicornes belonging to the order of Coleoptera. 
Our kind hosts gave us a cup of coffee about five o’clock, and we then 
started for home. The last mile of our walk was performed in the 
dark. The forest in this part is obscure even in broad daylight, but I 
was scarcely prepared for the intense opacity of darkness which reigned 
here on this night, and which prevented us from seeing each other, 
although walking side by side. Nothing occurred of a nature to alarm 
us, except that now and then a sudden rush was heard amongst the 
trees, and once a dismal shriek startled us. Petzell tripped at one 
place, and fell all his length into the thicket. With this exception, we 
kept well to the pathway, and in due time arrived safely at Caripi. 
One of my neighbours at Murucupi was a hunter of reputation in 
these parts. He was a civilised Indian, married and settled, named 
Raimundo, whose habit was to sally forth at intervals to certain pro- 
ductive hunting-grounds, whose situation he kept secret, and procure 
fresh provisions for his family. I had found out by this time that 
animal food was as much a necessary of life in this exhausting climate 
as it is in the North of Europe. An attempt which I made to live on 
vegetable food was quite a failure, and I could not eat the execrable 
salt-fish which Brazilians use. I had been many days without meat of 
any kind, and nothing more was to be found near Caripi, so I asked as 
a favour of Senhor Raimundo permission to accompany him on one of 
his hunting trips, and shoot a little game for my own use. He con- 
sented, and appointed a day on which I was to come over to his house 
to sleep, so as to be ready for starting with the ebb-tide shortly after 
midnight. 
