IN SOUTH AMERICA. 22/ 



The genus of plants which feemed mofl to flrike the attention of new comers, on 

 account of the lingularity of its different fpecies, was in my efleem the Liana, a 

 kind of oziers, which as before noticed ferves in lieu of cordage, and which is very 

 abundant in all the hot parts of America. All the fpecies of this genus have this in 

 common, that they twine around the trees and fhrubs in their way, and after pro- 

 greffively extending to the branches, occafionally to a prodigious height, throw out 

 fhoots which, declining perpendicularly, flrike root in the ground beneath, and rife 

 again to repeat the fame courfe of uncommon growth. Other filaments again, drivefi 

 obliquely by the winds, frequently attach themfelves to contiguous trees, and form 

 a confufed fpeclacle of cords, fome in fufpenfion, and others ilretched in every direc- 

 tion, not unfrequently refembling the rigging of a fhip. Of thefe Lianas there are 

 fcarcely any but to which fome particular virtues are afcribed, fome of them with 

 appropriate juflice, as in the inflance of Ippecacuhana. In many parts I obferved a 

 fpecies readily difcovered by its potent and diflin£t odour, refembling that of garlic. 

 Some of thefe Lianas are as thick as, nay thicker even than the arm of man, and fome, 

 like the Boa Conflridor its viftims, flrangle and deflroy the tree round which they 

 twine their parafitic arms : to thefe, a well-earned name, the Spaniards have given the 

 title of Matapalo (wood-killer). At times it happens that the tree dies at root, and 

 the trunk rots and falls in powder, leaving nothing but the fpirals of the Liana in form 

 of a tortuous column, infulated, and open to the day ; nature in this inflance laughing 

 to fcorn, and defying the imitations of art. 



The gums, refms, balfams, nay juices of every fort, which exude by incifion from 

 different kinds of trees, as well as the various oils extrafted from them, are number- 

 lefs. The oil obtained from a palm called Ungurave is reputed to be equally fweet, 

 and by fome as pleafant to the tafle, as that of the olive. That of others again, for 

 example the Andiroba, yields a brilliant light, without ^the leafl offenfive fmell. In 

 many parts the Americans, in lieu of oil, burn Copul, furrounded by leaves from the 

 Banana tree ; in others, certain feeds threaded on a pointed flip of wood, which, fluck 

 in the ground, ferves as a candleflick. The refin called Cahouchou in the province 

 of Quito, where it grows in the vicinage of the fea, is alfo very common on the banks 

 of the Maraiion, and is ufed there for fimilar purpofes ; when frefh, by means of 

 moulds, any fhape is given to it at pleafure ; it is impervious to rain, but its mofl re- 

 markable property is its elafticity. Of it are made infrangible bottles, boots, and hol- 

 low balls, which can be flattened at v/ill, but which, when the preffure that flattens 

 them is removed, affume again their priftine form. From the Omaguas the Portuguefe 

 of Para learnt the method of forming fyringes of the fame matter, and pumps which 

 need no fucker : thefe fyringes are made in the fhape of a pear, with a neck at the 

 extremity, that, as well as the body, being hollow. Into this neck a cane is fitted. 

 When it is wifhed to fill this veffel with a fluid, the air is expelled by preffure, and 

 the reed inferted downwards into the fluid ; on removal of the preffure the veffel refumes 

 its fhape, and the fluid preffed upon by the circumambient air, is forced into the va- 

 cuum formed by the refloration of its fhape to the veffel ; this when full being fuddenly 

 preffed the contained liquid is expelled with the fame effe£l as from a fyringe ; among 

 the Omaguas it is a very common utenfil. When they affemble on occafion of any 

 entertainment, the mafler of the houfe never fails to prefent one of thefe bottles to 

 each of his guefts, and its contents are voided confl:antly previous to the beginning of 

 a grand dinner. 



At Saint Joachim we took other canoes and a frefh crew, departing thence the 29th 

 July, with a defign of reaching the mouth of, the Napo in time to obferve at that place 



o G 2 an 



