THE EQUATORIAL FORESTS 
oblong fruits. The former seems confined to the 
submaritime region ; but the latter is abundant all 
through the Amazon valley, and perhaps more so 
along the eastern roots of the Andes than anywhere 
else. Neither of them reappears on the western 
side of the Andes. One of the palms cut down 
{M. vinifera) measured 80 feet to the top of the 
fronds ; the trunk as far as to the base of the fronds 
being ']\\ feet long by near 16 inches diameter. 
Each of the fan-shaped fronds was feet across, 
and its stalk or petiole was a pole 13 feet long and 
thick in proportion, so that a single leaf or frond 
was no light load under a hot sun ; but the spadix 
of fruits was a heavy load for two men. These 
Mauritias formed a large grove at the mouth of 
an igarape, and along the adjacent white beach. 
The two specimens cut down were among the 
smallest that bore perfect fruit, but some of the 
others would be at least half as high again, or say 
120 feet. Viewed by moonlight, the effect was 
indescribably grand and striking, reminding me of 
the lofty pillars and high embowered roofs " of 
the cathedrals of my native land. 
Visit to Tauau 
On the 4th of September we left Caripi for 
Tauaii, another of Mr. Campbell's farms, whither 
he and family had gone before us. Our way lay 
down the main river to the mouth of the Guajara, 
then up this river and its tributary the Acara to a 
little above the junction of the latter with the Mojii. 
Tauaii is said to take its name from abounding 
