THE AMAZON VALLEY. 
439 
A. whitish resin, with a strong camphorous smell, is 
produced very abundantly in the Rio Negro and the 
Amazon, and is commonly used as pitch for the canoes 
and all the larger vessels of the country; while the 
inner bark of young trees of the BerthoUetia excelsa, or 
Brazil-nut tree, is used instead of oakum for caulking. 
Among the forest-trees of the Amazon, the Legumi- 
noses are much the most abundant in species, and they 
also most attract attention from their curious bean-like 
fruits, often of extraordinary size or length. Some of 
the Ingas, and allied genera, have pods a yard long, and 
very slender ; while others are short, and three or four 
inches wide. There are some curious fruits of this fa- 
mily, which grow on a stalk three to five feet long and 
very slender, appearing as if some one had suspended 
a number of pods from the branches by long strings. 
The flowers of this family are among the most bril- 
liant and conspicuous ; and their often finely- cut pinnate 
foliage has a very elegant appearance. 
The following is a list of the principal vegetable pro- 
ductions of the Amazon forests — 
India-rubber, from the sap of the SipJionia elastica. 
Brazil-nuts, the seeds of the BerthoUetia excelsa, 
Salsaparilha, the roots of Smilax syphilitica. 
Tonquin-beans, the seeds of Bipteryx odorata. 
Puxiri, the fruit of Nectandrum Buchury. 
Sassafras oil, tree not known. 
Andiroba oil, from the fruit of an unknown tree. 
Crajuru, a red colour prepared from the leaves of Big- 
nonia Chica. 
