THE TECHNOLOGIST. [Oct. 1, 1864. 



122 PRODUCTS OF THE MONTANA OF PERU. 



magnificent crops, part of which is consumed in the neighbouring 

 departments, and part exported to Brazil. 



Cotton grows almost spontaneously in the neighbourhood of the 

 houses, and serves the inhabitants for domestic purposes, principally 

 grey shirting, which is an article of exchange in this province. 



Coffee grows with extraordinary luxuriance in this region ; the activity 

 of its vegetation is wonderful, the branches are borne down indeed with 

 the weight of the numerous berries. 



Cacao, besides being cultivated in all the gardens of Moyobamba, 

 grows spontaneously, and is met with in abundance and of variou s 

 kinds in all the woods of the province. 



Bombanaje {Carludovica palmata, Ruiz et Pavon), of the leaves of 

 which straw hats are made. Not only is this plant cultivated, but it is 

 met with in a wild state in almost all the warm, moist, and shady places 

 of this part of Peru. 



Pischuayo (Guilielma speciosa, Mart.), an elegant palm of an elevated 

 and thorny trunk ; grows spontaneously, and is cultivated for its pulpy 

 fruit, which is eaten cooked. 



Aguaje (Mauritla jlexuosa, Lin.) is a palm with leaves disposed in 

 the form of a fan. This useful vegetable produces a scaly fruit of the 

 size of a hen's egg which is eaten when cooked. 



Tutumo (Crescentia cujete, Lin.). Of the fruit of this tree calabashes 

 are prepared, vessels to preserve liquids, and for other domestic purposes. 

 A great number of fruit trees both indigenous and European grow 

 in this province, such as orange, lemon, paltot (Persea gratissima, 

 Gartn.), pacaes of various kinds (Inga vera, insignis, fastuosa, fyc), 

 lucumos (Lucuma obovata, Kind.), papayo (Carica papaya, Lin.), prunes, 

 plums, cherries, the bread fruit, pine apples — these abound in some parts 

 and acquire enormous dimensions, often weighing 18 lbs., red pepper, &c. 

 The quantity of plants which grow spontaneously is incalculable. In 

 the more elevated parts of the province are various kinds of sarsaparilla, 

 and many other plants of great usefulness. 



The Commerce of the Littoral Province of Loreto is yet in its 

 infancy, having commenced, it may be said, only after the arrival at the 

 Port of Nanta of the steam vessels of the Brazilian Company established 

 for the navigation of the Amazon, by the treaty entered into towards 

 the end of 1851 between Peru and Brazil. This commerce goes on sen- 

 sibly increasing, and will reach to much importance if the means of 

 communication can be facilitated, opening good roads conducting to the 

 ports situated on the banks of the navigable rivers, making the transport 

 of the produce in all the affluents of the Amazon less difficult by steam- 

 boats, and by all means avoiding monopoly. 



Almost all the commerce of this territory is carried on with Brazil 

 by the facility which exists of communication between these countries 

 by means of the rivers. The commerce of importation is conducted 

 both by the way of the Amazon and the ports of the Pacific. 



