224 GIGANTIC TREES — ELASTIC GUM. 



CHAP.XVIIL Ilumholdt found to be 21 lines in height, and on the 

 Quaiiuty of 2*^ ^^ ^^'"^y '^^ collected 14 lines in three hours ; whereas 

 ruin. at Paris tliere fall only 28 or 80 lines in as many weeks. 



The temperature is lower than at Maypures, hut higher 

 than on the Rio Negro ; the thermometer standing at 

 79~ or 80-6° by da^-, and at 69-8' by night. 

 Indian boats. The Indians of the mission amounted only to 160. 

 Some of them were employed in the construction of boats, 

 which are formed of the trunks of a species of laurel 

 (Ocotea cynibarum), hollowed by means of fire and the 

 axe. These trees attain a height of more than a hundred 

 feet, and have a yellow resinous wood which emits an 

 agreeable odour. The forest between Javita and Pimi- 

 chin affords an immense quantity of gigantic timber, as 

 tall occasionally as 106 or 117 feet; but as the trees 

 give out branches only towards the summit, the tra- 

 vellers were disappointed, amid so great a profusion of 

 unknown species, in not being able to procure the 

 leaves and flowers. Besides, as it rained incessantly so 

 long a time, M. Bonpland lost the greater part of his 

 dried specimens. Although no pines or firs occur in 

 these woods, balsams, resins, and aromatic gums, are 

 abundantly furnished by many other trees, and are col- 

 lected as objects of trade by the people of Javita. 

 Gum of the ^^ *'^^ mission of San Baltasar they had seen the 

 licvta tixc natives jireparing a kind of elastic gum, which they said 

 was found under ground ; and in the forests at Javita, 

 the old Indian who accom])anied them showed that it 

 was obtained by digging several feet deep among the roots 

 of two particular trees, the ITcvea of Aubletand one with 

 pinnate leaves. This substance, which bears the nanie 

 of dapicho, is white, corky, and brittle, with a laminated 

 structure and undulating edges ; but on being roasted it 

 assumes a black colour, and acquires the properties of 

 caoutchouc. 

 Knth-e The native's of these countries live in hordes of forty 



liurdu-s. Qf fifty, and unite under a common chief only when 



they wage war with tlieir neighbours. As the different 

 tribes speak different languages, they have little com- 



