Cuapter II 
GUMS, WAX, OILS, PIGMENTS 
Gums, resins, balsams, etc.: Hymenza courbaril, Protium, Humiria floribunda, 
Vismia guianensis, Copaifera officinalis, Eperua, Mimusops globosa, Tabebuia 
longipes, Moronobea coccinea, Bisi, Sapium, Hevea (23). 
Beeswax (24). 
Oils and unguents: 
(A) Vegetable—Carapa guianensis, Astrocaryum, Attalea, Maximiliana regia, 
Mespilodaphne, Oenocarpus bacaba, Lecythis zabucajo, Eugenia catinga, 
Myristica sebifera, veserri and cunama, cunuri and uacu (25). 
(B) Animal—Turtle-egg (26); Steatornis caripensis (27). 
Pigments, red, purplish, and blue: Bignonia chica, Bixa orellana, Bellucia aubletii, 
Coussapoa latifolia, Genipa americana, Henriettea succosa, Homalium sp., 
Maparakuni erythroxylum, Pterocarpus guianensis, Renealmia exaltata, buru- 
buruli, wiliko (28); red clay (29). 
Pigments, black and brown: Inga laterifolia, allakoidde (30). 
Pigments, yellow: Lukunanijio (81). 
Pigments, white: Kaolin (82). 
23. Gums, resins, and balsams are largely used by the Indians, 
and obtained chiefly from the following plants: 
Hymenea courbaril Linn., the simiri or locust tree, the algarroba 
of the Spaniards (G, 1, 269; AVH, m1, 309), gum anime, copal, etc. 
Lumps of gum, 2 or 3 pounds in weight, fall from their trunks, as clear 
as crystal (G, 1, 269). The Indians cut the trunk with a knife, and 
from each wound there flows a quantity of resin as white as snow and 
of a very sweet smell. If kept a long time it develops a yellow color 
(G, 1, 267). Sometimes it is dug out of the ground. Thus at 5 or 6 
inches’ depth, between the roots of the Hymenza courbaril, masses of 
the resin anime (erroneously called copal) are discovered, and are some- 
times mistaken for amber in inland places (AVH, 11, 359). Kappler ap- 
parently challenges this statement of Humboldt’s by speaking of this 
species of Hymenwa as the copal tree (AK, 54). Again, Fermin 
talks of gum copal being obtained from incisions in a very large 
tree, which they [in Surinam] call loms or courbaril (FE, 83). The 
Indians employ it for lighting purposes. <A length of it stuck up in 
the ground burns away if lighted on top (G, 1, 269). Among the 
Maypure of the Orinoco it is used for covering over the paintwork 
on the pottery (AVH, 11, 309). It is very good for curing the megrim 
(G, 1, 267). The Indians chew it for pains in the stomach and flatu- 
lence, and often, by way of suffumigation, for rheums, headaches, ete. 
Protium heptophyllum (= TIcica heptophylla, =Amyris ambrosiaca), 
the haiowa of the Arawak, the shipu or sibu of the Warrau, the sipipio 
of the Carib, the incense tree, from which the fragrant resin of conima 
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