180 TRANSACTIONS AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE [Sess. lv. 



remarkable specimen of a buttressed tree. It is supported 

 in its place by flat board-like buttresses standing out at 

 right angles to the trunk, gradually decreasing in breadth 

 upwards till they become merged in the round stem 6 or 8 

 feet up, and below broadening out so as to project for a con- 

 siderable distance from the base of the tree, even towards the 

 extremity twisting round at right angles to their former 

 direction so as to secure a firmer grip of the ground. They 

 are there not only as a protection to the tree against wind, 

 but, as I suppose, to keep the tree from falling by its own 

 weight. For the soil in which they grow is wet and 

 spongy, and ill adapted for taking firm hold of the roots, 

 and without some such special contrivance a tall tree would 

 readily fall. When these buttresses are cut off they make 

 excellent flat boards, and the Indians, who have difficulty in 

 working timber for want of proper tools, find them very 

 convenient for the manufacture of paddles,* and one species 

 of tree in which this sort of buttress is more than usually 

 developed is on that account called the Paddle tree {Aspidos- 

 pcrmum excelsuni). 



In addition to the tall trees of different kinds which are 

 able to reach the light above, there grows in the gloomy 

 shade below a miscellaneous scrub, not very dense, so far as 

 my experience goes, consisting of Mora and other seedlings, 

 various small palms, especially Badris and Geonoma, beauti- 

 ful Maranta plants, ferns of many sorts, among which I 

 noticed a few tree ferns, and several kinds of filmy ferns, 

 some of the latter on fallen trees being delicately lovely, and 

 in addition to all these many low-growing bushes which I 

 did not know. The ground is strewn with the large, red, bean- 

 shaped seeds of the Mora, and bush ropes hang down every- 

 where to catch the hat or trip the foot of the unwary. 



Walking through sucli a forest is a novel experience. 

 The atmosphere is extremely close and sultry. Not a breath 

 of air ; not a trace of freshness ; it is the atmosphere of a 

 washing-house in full swing of work. One could have put 

 up with the heat, but the heat and humidity together were 

 almost overpowering. After the first half-hour one was 

 bathed in perspiration, free flowing and copious. Even the 



* This nan ark does not aj)ply to the buttresses of the Mora itself, the wood 

 of which Ls too heavy for paddles. 



