EXPEDITION TO SURINAM. 139 

 nerable adverfaries, to be fliot?" I was anfwered, <^ Be- char 



XXTI 



« caufe, like you, Maflera, they had no faith in the amu- , 

 " let or o3/j." This piece of policy in Mr. Qwacy, how- 

 ever, had the effedl of making all his free countrymen fo 

 undauntedly brave, that I muft confefs their valour had 

 often furprized me. However, this impofition, as fliall 

 be fliewn hereafter, befides refpedt and veneration, pro- 

 cured this dealer in magic conliderable both eafe and 

 wealth, which for a black man in Surinam was indeed 

 not very common. 



In the mouth of this creek I again faw a quantity of 

 nuts floating on the furface of the water, fuch as I have ' 

 before mentioned, when I was informed that they were 

 the real acajoiv or cq/bew nuts, which I have partly de- 

 fcribed : to which I fliall now add, that they grow on the 

 edge of a pulpy fubftance like a very large pear, which is 

 produced on a middle-fized tree, with a grey bark and 

 large thick leaves. This excellent nut will bear to be tranf- 

 ported to any part of the globe, and keep good for a con- 

 fiderable time; it is by fome called the Anacardimn Occi- 

 dent alts. From the tree exudes a tranfparent gum, which 

 when diffolved in water has the confiftency of glue. 



I alfo tailed here the eta-tree apple^ of which the 

 negroes feemed extremely fond. This tree is of the 

 palm kind, with large leaves, but is lefs in fize than the 

 maurecee or the mountain cabbage-tree. The fruit or 

 apples are round, and grow in large clufters refembling 

 §rape-lhot. In the middle of each apple is a hard nut, in 



T a which 



