248 TlMEHRL 
enough to the river, are too valuable to be cut and used 
in this way ; though sometimes where one of these has 
been cut for other purposes, perhaps for the sake of the 
sago or the wine which can, or at least are, only pro- 
cured by the destruction of the tree, the fallen stem may 
be used, among the troolie stems, for the floor. Again 
HUMBOLDT'S quaint conception of the nets which he 
thought the Warraus hung from palm-tree to palm tree 
and used as hanging hearths and homes, was surely 
founded on a misunderstanding of some tale that was 
told him of how the Indians when resting, during their 
travels through the swamps, to place themselves out of 
reach of the rising tide, sling their hammocks, which 
may truly enough be said to be in itself an Indian's 
home, though not his hearth, high up in the trees. 
But after all, though the Mauritia palm famous, owing 
to Gumilla and Humboldt, in history is thus but a 
myth, the real Mauritia, the seta of Guiana, has enough, 
and sufficiently varied, uses to make it not unworthy of 
its calling as the ' tree of life.' And to these actual uses 
we must now turn. 
The leaves of the seta are occasionally, but not very 
frequently, used as thatch ; but this only, as far as I know, 
by the Macoosis. The young leaves, just before they 
expand from the early spike-like form in which they 
develop, are shaken till the leaflets fall apart ; these 
leaflets are then cut off from the leafstalks, gathered 
into small bundles, and laid on, as thickly as possible, 
much as straw is used for thatching in England. 
A more important product is the fibre, which is also 
obtained from the young, spike-like leaves. Each leaflet 
is detached and treated simply. A sharp dexterous rub 
