506 The Andes and the Amazons. 



few palms yielding useful timber. It is the Iriartea har- 

 rigudo, easily recognized by its bulging stem and buttress 

 roots. It is found on the Solimoens and Maraiion. The 

 wood is very durable, and is used for rough building. 



Maeupa. — This is a light, whitish, soft wood, resembling 

 pine, but not valued much on the Amazons. 



Jarana.^ — A pink-colored wood, splitting easily, grow- 

 ing on the Rio Negro. 



Genipapo. — A large Cinchona-tree, having a good, flexi- 

 ble wood, useful for many purposes. The Indians make 

 spoons of it, and paint themselves with the dark-purple 

 juice of the green fruit. 



Cuiinvi, another Maraiion timber, resembling Maple. 



Baeas, a white, soft wood, also from the Marafion, used 

 as beams in houses, but comparatively of small value. 



Chonta. — This is a general term in Quichua for Palm. 

 The one I refer to is the Bactris ciliata, a very hard, dark- 

 colored, elastic wood of the Marafion, from which the In- 

 dians make bows, spears, and the points of arrows. An- 

 other Chonta (a species of Eihterpe) is used in construc- 

 tion on the Huallaga. The wood of the Pupunha Palm is 

 tough and black, taking a fine polish, and is called " Chou- 

 tadura" on the Upper Marafion. 



Ejibueana. — This valuable wood is white, fragrant, 

 moderately firm and heavy, and much sought after for 

 building and furniture purposes. The tree {Bursera lep- 

 tophlceos) is lofty, about three feet in diameter, and grows 

 around the head-waters of tlie Tocantins. 



Chimico-caspa. — A reddish, light, rather soft wood from 

 the Marafion. 



Agtjano, or " Mahogany." — This is a gigantic tree even 

 for the tropical forest. It is probably not identical with 

 the Swietenia raahogoni of Central America — the Mahog- 

 any of commerce j but it resembles it in color, and it is a 



