224 THE LOWER AMAZONS. Chap. VI. 



numbers ; the equally remarkable Jupati palm (Rliaphia 

 tsedigera), which, like the Ubussu, is peculiar to this dis- 

 trict, occurred more sparsely, throwing its long shaggy 

 leaves, forty to fifty feet in length, in broad arches over 

 the canal. An infinite diversity of smaller-sized palms 

 decorated the water's edge, such as the Maraja-i (Bac- 

 tris, many species), the Ubim (Geonoma), and a few 

 stately Bacabas ((Enocarpus Bacaba). The shape of 

 this last is exceedingly elegant, the size of the crown 

 being in proper proportion to the straight smooth stem. 

 The leaves, down even to the bases of the glossy petioles, 

 are of a rich dark-green colour, and free from spines. 

 " The forest wall" — I am extracting from my journal — 

 "under which we are now moving consists, besides 

 palms, of a great variety of ordinary forest-trees. From 

 the highest branches of these down to the water sweep 

 ribbons of climbing plants of the most diverse and orna- 

 mental foliage possible. Creeping convolvuli and others 

 have made use of the slender lianas and hanging air- 

 roots as ladders to climb by. Now and then appears 

 a Mimosa or other tree having similar fine pinnate 

 foliage, and thick masses of Inga border the water, 

 from whose branches hang long bean-pods, of different 

 shape and size according to the species, some of them a 

 yard in length. Flowers there are very few. I see, 

 now and then, a gorgeous crimson blossom on long 

 spikes ornamenting the sombre foliage towards the 

 summits of the forest. I suppose it to belong to a 

 climber of the Combretaceous order. There are also 

 a few yellow and violet Trumpet-flowers (Bignoni<T). 

 The blossoms of the Ingas, although not conspicuous, 



