Jan.  2,  1893.] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
487 
species  of  Juglans,  is  frequently  seen  in  the  Perene 
Valley,  growing  to  a height  of  sixty  to  seventy  feet. 
Satinwood  there  is  also,  but  not  the  satinwood  of 
Ceylon  ( Chloroxylon) ; for  though  the  wood  looks 
similar,  the  family  (Ebenacea),  is  in  no  way  related 
to  our  Ceylon  tree.  The  indigenous  coca,  as  an 
uudergrowth,  we  rarely  came  across,  except  in  semi- 
cultivated  patches.  Gigantic  cottons,  the  screw  pine 
(Carludovia),  from  which  the  famous  Panama  hat  is 
made,  the  grand  scarlet  flowering  Erythrina,  and 
another  tall  and  brilliant  yellow  flowering  tree — - 
probably  the  laburnum  of  Peru — add  much  to  the 
beauty  of  the  scene.  Many  other  leguminous  plants 
we  also  noted,  particularly  Calliandra  and  Clitoria. 
Innumerable  orchids,  mosses,  and  ferns  sufficiently 
indicated  the  humid  nature  of  the  climate.  Probably 
the  chief  distinguishing  feature  in  Peruvian  vegeta- 
tion is,  that  it  is  an  essentially  flowering  and  fruit- 
bearing vegetation,  rather  than  the  excessive  leaf- 
producing,  which  so  distinguished  the  luxuriant  green- 
ery in  Panama,  the  West  Indies,  and  Ceylon.  Peru 
undoubtedly  possesses  a richer  soil  and  a climate 
more  favourable  to  fruit-bearing;  while  compared 
with  the  massiveness  and  grandeur  of  the  Trans- 
Andean  forest  monarchs,  the  jungle  trees  of  India 
and  Ceylon  are  somewhat  diminutive.  A few  plants 
we  missed  ; the  beautiful  and  useful  yellow  Bamboo 
is  not  there,  nor  are  the  Palmyra,  talipot,  and 
coconut  palms.  The  jak  and  bread  fruit  trees  might 
also  be  introduced  with  great  advantage.  The  cul- 
tivated grasses  of  the  East,  the  Guinea  and  Mauri- 
tius grasses  are  here  already,  but  as  a nutritious 
fodder,  they  cannot  be  compared  with  the  “Alfalfa.” 
There  cannot  be  said  to  be  any  cultivation  here, 
but  we  can  see  by  the  well  beaten  foot  paths  leading 
to  them  that  certain  plants  are  more  highly  prized 
than  others,  and  Coca  ( Erythroxylon ) is  one  of  the 
chief  favourites.  Around  little  patches  of  this  plant 
the  jungle  is  occasionally  cleared  away,  and  the  coca 
leaves  are  carefully  harvested. 
Coca,  from  which  the  invaluable  drug  cocaine  is 
obtained,  is  a native  of  this  locality,  a plant  not 
unlike  the  Chinese  tea,  though  scarcely  so  sturdy  in 
habit,  growing  to  a height  of  from  four  to  five  feet, 
with  bright  green  leaves  and  white  blossoms,  followed 
by  reddish  berries.  The  leaves  are  plucked  when 
well  matured,  dried  in  the  sun,  and  simply  packed 
in  bundles  for  use  or  export.  Probably  tea  might 
be  treated  in  the  same  way,  and  all  its  real  virtues 
conserved  in  the  natural  vessels  of  the  leaf  till  drawn 
out  in  the  teapot ; the  fermenting  and  elaborate  mani- 
pulation introduced  by  Chinamen  is  of  doubtful  utility. 
Of  the  sustaining  power  of  coca  there  can  be  no 
possible  doubt ; the  Chunchos  seem  not  only  to 
exist  but  to  thrive  upon  this  stimulant,  often  tra- 
velling for  days  with  very  little,  if  anything  else  to 
sustain  them.  Unquestionably  it  is  much  superior, 
and  less  liable  to  abuse,  than  the  tobacco,  betel, 
or  opium  of  other  nations.  The'Chuncho  is  never 
seen  without  his  wallet  containing  a stock  of  dried 
leaves,  a pot  of  prepared  lime,  or  ihe  ashes  of  the 
quinna  plant,  and  he  makes  a halt  about  once  an 
hour  to  replenish  his  capacious  mouth.  The  flavour  is 
bitter  and  somewhat  nauseating  at  first,  but  the  taste  is 
soon  acquired,  and  if  not  exactly  palatable,  the  benefit 
under  fatiguing  journeys  is  very  palpable.  Cold  tea  is 
nowhere,  and  the  best  of  wines  worthless  in  comparison 
with  this  pure,  unfermented,  heaven-sent  reviver. 
The  chief  food  of  the  Chuncho  when  at  home 
is,  however,  the  Yucca  (Jatrola  manihot ),  the 
Cassava  of  the  East,  which  also  obtains  a certain 
amount  of  care  and  protection,  in  this  case  almost 
amounting  to  semicultivation.  The  plant  may  be 
freely  grown  from  cuttings,  the  thickness  of  one’s 
finger,  stuck  obliquely  into  the  ground.  In  about 
nine  months  the  roots,  the  only  edible  part,  are 
fit  for  use.  They  look  like  huge  kidney  potatoes 
or  roots  of  the  dahlia  and  taste,  when  boiled,  some- 
thing between  a waxy  potato  and  a stringy  yam ; 
roasted  they  are  better.  Still,  one  wearies  even  of 
roasted  yucca.  For  weeks  I had  no  other  solid  food 
morning,  noon,  nor  night,  and  though  duly  thankful 
of  these  mercies,  I have  no  craving  for  another  course 
of  yuccas.  With  the  Chunchos,  as  I have  said,  they 
form  the  chief  food.  Fish  is  the  favourite  accompani- 
ment, though  they  do  not  despise  a slice  of  wild  turkey 
when  obtainable,  which  is  but  seldom.  Black  monkey 
and  white  maggots  are  delicacies  set  before  a king. 
They  have  no  regular  meal  hours,  but  eat  like  cattle, 
whenever  they  have  a mind  to,  that  is  to  say,  if  food  is 
at  hand  ; if  not,  there  is  always  the  coca. 
The  Papaw  ( Calico, ) is  here  one  of  the  most  abundant 
of  indigenous  fruit  trees.  The  eastern  world  has  been 
indebted  to  Peru  for  many  good  things,  and  the  best 
variety  of  papaw  is  one  of  them.  The  pleasant,  melon- 
like fruit  is  not  only  very  agreeable  and  digestible  in 
itself,  but  it  has  the  property  of  helping  the  digestion  of 
other  foods  particularly  flesh  meats,  with  which  it  may 
come  in  contact.  Even  the  leaves  rolled  round  tough 
beef  is  said  to  lender  it,  and  the  most  ancient  fowl 
hung  up  in  this  tree  for  a night  will  become  like  chicken. 
The  juice  is  used  by  the  Spanish  ladies  as  a cosmetic, 
but  the  most  valuable  product  of  this  prolific  tree  is 
fibrine,  so  beneficial  to  the  dyspeptic. 
One  peculiarity  is  that  its  male  and  its  female 
flowers  grow  on  separate  plants,  and  the  tree  is  thus 
called  Papaya  or  Mamai,  according  to  sex. 
After  a weary  wait  of  eight  days,  the  royal  patient 
began  to  show  signs  of  recovery,  his  subjects  coming 
in  crowds  to  call  upon  him,  bringing  presents,  ge- 
nerally large  white  maggots,  about  three  inches  long, 
which  the  king  greedily  ate. 
On  such  occasions  it  was  curious  to  note  how,  on 
the  approach  of  visitors,  the  ladies  disappeared,  just 
as  ladies  sometimes  do  nearer  home,  re-appearing 
again  in  all  the  dignity  of  the  war-paint  of  their 
tribe.  The  preliminaries  were  soon  over,  and  hunker- 
ing down  in  a circle,  the  social  chat  over  the  latest 
sensation  seemed  soon  to  have  full  play.  No  donbt 
we  formed  the  chief  topic,  and  judging  from  the  loud 
laughter  of  the  company,  we  were  evidently  looked 
upon  as  harmless  lunatics,  frequent  allusion  being 
made  to  bunches  of  flowers  and  weeds  we  had  gathered, 
which  caused  much  merriment. 
King  Chokery  at  length  gave  orders  for  balsas  to 
be  made,  and  trees  were  at  once  cut  down  and  fixed 
together  by  pins  of  palm  wood.  The  balsa,  or  raft, 
consisted  of  seven  logs  about  twenty-four  inches  in 
circumference,  rather  roughly  pegged  together,  but 
sufficiently  buoyant  to  support  three  of  our  party  on 
each.  Seven  of  these  rafts  carried  our  company  of 
twenty.  The  king  accompanied  us,  and  as  he  himself 
had  never  been  forty  miles  down  the  river,  it  was 
an  interesting  voyage  of  discovery  to  all  concerned. 
We  started  in  single  file,  I electing  to  sit  in  the 
prow  of  the  foremost  balsa.  It  was  a glorious  morning, 
and  as  we  glided  onward  at  the  rate  of  four  miles 
an  hour  through  ever-changing,  but  always  enchanting 
scenery,  the  effect  was  indescribably  exhilarating. 
Every  nerve  seemed  stretched  to  the  highest  pitch 
of  enjoyment ; the  eyes,  glancing  from  scene  to  scene 
took  in  more  impressions  than  the  mental  powers 
could  take  note  of.  Such  a wealth  of  vegetation 
seems  to  mock  at  the  idea  of  a few  poor,  puny  planters 
ever  making  any  impression  upon  it.  The  leafy 
monarchs  may,  indeed,  be  cut  down,  but  who  is  to 
keep  that  interminable  undergrowth  in  check? 
Beautiful  as  these  creepers  are  as  they  hang  in 
festoons  from  the  lofty  trees,  they  almost  bid  defiance 
to  the  progress  of  explorers,  and  a path  cut,  which 
in  other  countries  would  remain  open  for  years,  would 
here  close  up  in  a few  weeks.  Such  seems  the  in- 
exhaustible fertility  of  the  soil,  and  such  the  forcing 
nature  of  the  climate,  that  there  is  a mixture  of  awe 
in  our  admiration.  In  every  other  country  we  know 
the  more  fertile  the  soil  the  more  friendly  it  is  to 
man,  but  here  its  excessive  fertility  has  led  it  to  be 
looked  upon  as  an  enemy  to  his  progress.  But,  as 
an  old  planter,  I do  not  despair  of  its  fertility  being 
yet  turned  to  good  account,  if  we  cou'd  only  tap 
the  labour  supply  of  India  and  China,  where  there  are 
millions  to  spare,  and  conduct  the  stream  hither;  the 
result,  if  we'l-directed,  would  bring  a wealth  of  supplies 
such  as  the  world  has  not  before  been  blessed  with. 
Turning  a bend  in  the  river  we  are  struck  by  what 
seems  the  ivy-clad  ruins  of  an  ancient  castle,  but  it 
turns  out  to  be  only  an  aged  tree,  clad  from  top 
to  bottom  with  verdant  creepers,  its  huge  horizontal 
arms  supporting  a perfect  screen  of  living  trellis  work 
below,  while  ferns,  lycopodsand  rare  orchids,  beautiful 
