10 A NATURAIJST IN THE GUIANAS 



been exhausted, the sarrajneros wander farther into the 

 depths of the forest ; often they undertake expeditions to 

 considerable distances and remain a week or a fortnight 

 away. During this time they sleep in the forest, sling- 

 ing their hammocks between trees with a slight covering 

 of wild plaintain-leaves or palm-branches to keep the 

 rain oft'. 



The fruit of the sarrapia is much like a mango in 

 appearance and is largely eaten by the natives. It has 

 but little pulp, which is sticky and of insipid taste, the 

 seed being covered with a hard fur-like substance. After 

 the sarrapiero has got together a sufiticient quantity of 

 fruit, he takes his find to some open spot where he can, 

 <:;et the benefit of strong sunlight. The hard shell is then 

 carefully broken between two stones, and a single oblong 

 bean of a dark-brown colour obtained. The seeds are then, 

 spread out to dry, generally upon the large open masses of 

 granite called lajas which form so peculiar a feature of 

 the forests of this region. These dried beans form the sar- 

 rapia or tonca-bean as it is sold by the sarrapiero to the 

 merchants of Ciudad-Bolivar, where the process of crystal- 

 lisation, as it is called, is sometimes carried out. This 

 operation, however, costs very much less if performed in 

 Trinidad, where the strong rum required for the process can 

 be obtained at a cheaper rate than at Ciudad-Bolivar. By 

 the end of May or the beginning of June the last beans have 

 been taken, and the crop may be said to be over. The boats 

 descend the river, stopping at every settlement, and the 

 sarrapieros get drunk whenever they can as they did three 

 months before, for the curse of the Venezuelan peo7i or 

 labourer is his fatal fondness for ardent spirits. When 

 the men reach Ciudad-Bolivar, they dispose of their pro- 

 duct to one of the big export-houses. It does not take 



