536 



It is still more abundant on the left bank, at 

 the Cerro Guanaja, between the Rio Amaguaca 

 and the Gehette. The inhabitants of Esmeral- 

 da assured us, that in advancing above the Ge- 

 hette and the Chiguire, the juvia and cacao- 

 trees become so common, that the wild Indians 

 (the Guaicas and Guahariboes blancos) do not 

 disturb the Indians of the missions, when ga- 

 thering in their harvests. They do not envy 

 them the productions, with which nature has 

 enriched their own soil. Scarcely any attempt 

 has been made to propagate the almendrones in 

 the settlements of the Upper Oroonoko. The 

 indolence of the inhabitants is a greater obstacle 

 than the rapidity, with which the oil becomes 

 rancid in the amygdaliform seeds. We found 

 only three trees at the mission of San Carlos, 

 and two at Esmeralda. These majestic trees, 

 eight or ten years old, had not yet borne flow- 

 ers. I mentioned above, that Mr. Bonpland 

 had made known the almendrones to the In- 

 dians, among the trees that cover the banks of 

 the Cassiquiare, near the rapids of Cananiva- 

 cari*. 



Ever since the sixteenth century the seeds 

 with ligneous and triangular teguments, but 

 not the great drupe like a cocoa-nut, which con- 

 tains the almonds, had been known in Europe 



* See above, p. 409, 



