Chap. L 
CURIOUS FKUITS. 
49 
(Dipteryx odorata), used in Europe for scenting snuff, 
is also of frequent occurrence here. It grows to an 
immense height, and the fruit, which, although a 
legume, is of a rounded shape, and has but one seed, 
can be gathered only when it falls to the ground. A 
considerable quantity (from 1000 to 3000 pounds) is 
exported annually from Santarem, the produce of the 
whole region of the Tapajos. An endless diversity of 
trees and shrubs, some beautiful in flower and foliage, 
others bearing curious fruits, grow in this matted wil- 
derness. It would be tedious to enumerate many of 
them. I was much struck with the variety of trees 
with large and diversely-shaped fruits growing out of 
the trunk and branches, some within a few inches of 
the ground, like the cacao. Most of them are called 
by the natives Cupti, and the trees are of inconsiderable 
height. One of them called Cupu-ai bears a fruit of 
elliptical shape and of a dingy earthen colour six or seven 
inches long, the shell of which is woody and thin, and 
contains a small number of seeds loosely enveloped in 
a juicy pulp of very pleasant flavour. The fruits hang 
like clayey ants'-nests from the branches. Another 
kind more nearly resembles the cacao ; this is shaped 
something like the cucumber, and has a green ribbed 
husk. It bears the name of Cacao de macaco, or 
monkey's chocolate, but the seeds are smaller than those 
of the common cacao. I tried once or twice to make 
chocolate from them. They contain plenty of oil of 
similar fragrance to that of the ordinary cacao-nut, 
and make up very well into paste ; but the beverage 
has a repulsive clayey colour and an inferior flavour. 
VOL.TT. E 
