50 
NOTES OF A BOTANIST 
existence of modern batrachians so enormous. 
King — a stout fellow over six feet and broad in pro- 
portion — picked up a big stone, and with both hands 
plumped it down on the unsuspecting bather, who 
seemed at first rather taken aback by the insult, 
but after a few moments' reflection straightened 
himself out and marched gravely off, as if nothing 
in the world had happened. 
Vegetable Products of Para 
I ought not to take leave of Para without add- 
ing a few words on the products of the forest that 
enter so largely into the consumption and com- 
merce of that port. A complete account of their 
economic and medicinal uses would, however, re- 
quire a separate volume ; and as many of them, 
such, for instance, as sarsaparilla, are collected in 
the far interior, and are only taken down to Para 
for sale and for re -embarkation to Europe and 
North America, I propose to mention only some 
of the most useful and remarkable as I come across 
them in the course of this narrative. . . . 
One of the objects which most took my atten- 
tion at Para was the Maceranduba, Milk-tree or 
Cow-tree, so called from its bark secreting abun- 
dance of drinkable milk. I saw several trees of it 
at Tauaii, and made trial of the milk, fresh from 
the tree, both alone and mingled with coffee. The 
milk flows slowly from the wounded bark ; its con- 
sistency is that of good cream, and its taste per- 
fectly creamy and agreeable. It retains its fluidity 
for weeks, but acquires an unpleasant odour. It 
