EXPEDITION TO SURINAM. 



dians, on account of its efficacy in curing wounds, and 

 many other complaints. The car aba or crab oil is made 

 by bruifing, macerating, and boiling the kernels that 

 grow on the crab-tree in brown angular nuts, much 

 about the fize of a large chefnut ; this oil, v/hich is 

 bitter, befides anointing the Indians, is ufed for many 

 purpofes by the Europeans. The tree grows to near fifty 

 feet high, with leaves refembling thofe of the laurel ; 

 but as I neither have feen this nor the two former grow- 

 ing, to my knowledge, I can fay nothing more concern* 

 ing them. The mawna tree is high, lliraight, and light 

 brown coloured ; its leaves are oval ; its nuts refembling 

 nutmegs, but without either tafte or flavour. The gum 

 exuding from its trunk by incilions in the bark is dif- 

 folved by the Indians in water, and, as I have faid, mixed 

 with arnotta to anoint them. The caftor or palma- 

 €hri/ii bufli, by botanifls called the ricinus, is a fhrub 

 about four feet high, jointed, being covered with large 

 digitated leaves on long foot-ftalks, n)iz. both the Item 

 and the branches. This fhrub confifts of the red and the 

 white, and produces triangular nuts inclofed in a green 

 hufk, which, when ripe, turns to brown, and falls off. 

 From thefe nuts is exprefled the caftor oil ; in Surinam 

 it is called carrapat oil ; it is very like that made of 

 olives, and, as I have mentioned before, is much ufed by 

 the Indians to paint themfelves with. 



Among all the Indian nations, the Carihs are the moft 

 numerous, adive, and brave. Thefe refide in great num- 



3 F 2 bers 



