C 223 ) 



The moft remarkable of the fruit-trees, peculiar to 

 this country, are the n'acane, the, Acimine, and the 

 Piakimine trees. The Pacane is a nut of the fize 

 and fhape of a large acorn. The ftiell of fome of 

 them is very thin, while others have it harder and 

 thicker, but the fruit is fo much the lefs on that 

 account. All have a very fine and delicate tafte ; 

 the tree rifes to a great height in its wood, bark, 

 fmell and fhape of its leaves, it feems to me great- 

 ly to refemble the filbert trees of Europe. 



The Acimine is a fruit of the length of a man'3 

 finger, and an inch in diameter. Its pulp is ten- 

 der and fweetifh, and full of a feed much refem- 

 bling that of the water melon. The tree grows to 

 no great height or thicknefs ; all thofe I have feen 

 being nothing but fhrubs, the woofl of which is 

 very tender. Its bark is thin, its leaves long and 

 large like thofe of the chefnut, but of a deeper 

 green. 



The Piakimine is in fhape like a damafk plum, 

 though fome what larger : its fkin is tender, its 

 fubftance watery, and colour red ; and has befides 

 a very delicate flavour. It contains feeds which 

 differ only from thofe of the Acimine, in being 

 fomewhat fmaller. The Indians make a pafte of 

 this fruit, which they bake into loaves of the thick* 

 nefs of a man's finger, and of the confiftence of a 

 dried pear. The tafle feems at firft fomewhat dis- 

 agreeable, but people are eafily accuftomed to it. 

 It is very nourishing, and a fovereign remedy, as 

 they pretend, againft a loofenefs and bloody- 

 flux. The tree which bears this fruit, is a very 

 fine one, and about the fize of our ordinary plum- 

 tress. Its leaves have five points, its wood 



is 



