THE AMAZON VALLEY. 305 



attention from their curious bean-like fruits, often of extra- 

 ordinary size or length. Some of the Ingas, and allied genera, 

 have pods a yard long, and very slender ; while others are 

 short, and three or four inches wide. There are some curious 

 fruits of this family, which grow on a stalk three to five feet 

 long and very slender, appearing as if some one had suspended 

 a number of pods from the branches by long strings. 



The flowers of this family are among the most brilliant and 

 conspicuous ; and their often finely-cut pinnate foliage has a 

 very elegant appearance. 



The following is a list of the principal vegetable productions 

 of commercial value in the Amazon forests :— 



India-rubber, from the sap of the SipJionia elastica. 



Brazil-nuts, the seeds of the Bertholletia excelsa. 



Salsaparilha, the roots of Smilax syphilitica. 



Tonquin-beans, the seeds of Dipteryx odorata. 



Puxiri, the fruit of Nectandrum Puchury. 



Sassafras oil, tree not known. 



Andiroba oil, from the fruit of an unknown tree. 



Crajuru, a red colour prepared from the leaves of Bignonia 

 Chica. 



Pitch — exudes from a forest tree. 



Cacao, the seeds of Theobroma Cacao and other species. 



Cravo, from an unknown tree. 



Canella, the bark of Canella alba. 



Vanilla, the fruits of various species of Vanilla. 



Guarana, a preparation from a fruit, grated in water, to form 

 an agreeable and medicinal drink. 



Piassaba, the fibres from the petioles of a palm, Leo- 

 poldi?iia n. s. 



Balsam Capivi, from the Copaifera officinalis. 



Silk cotton, from various species of Bombax. 



In many parts of my Journal, I have expressed an opinion ' 

 that travellers have exaggerated the beauty and brilliancy of 

 tropical vegetation, and on a calm review of all I have seen in 

 the districts I have visited, I must repeat it. 



There is a grandeur and solemnity in the tropical forest, 

 but little of beauty or brilliancy of colour. The huge buttress 

 trees, the fissured trunks, the extraordinary air roots, the 



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