New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-06-28
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a Rfnsp nv i s,Jr Nne 80
by y. u. i. df.anz E,x.

sFfsas nc Stasaht aud schon{rase
va,edy Ua sRa portion o. British Guiana Ii cnItf
fatsds pr0Dabiy All tho tpwns pEa5Itafi0na ana
settlements are wfIbin less than fly res IF NJ
4 sea coast Beyond fhat are dense and an,ost ;
Eenetfabie forests abounding iii i1exhaussibie
seldom, visited BY tragefers ssistf I5s ever III III
inhabitanss OF he cultivated portion of the country
save for the purpose Of obtaining fhg rich woods
for exPortasion. Al there are 10 rgads nor foot
paths through the forests BY iaad, excursions into
Indians are employed, On tbess inland voyages to
propel the boats, and, when landing is made, to
cat away, with their mectetss The underwood,
vines etc, which rendsss NE forests ig1passable
i Is usual for the yoyasfhg party % eneamp on
shore at night. 81
Among the great variety of tssas. s.uts and, fruits
that abound In this productive region, there is q
nut, the seed Of tree, which Is more Remarkable
and curious than all the others. This wansisrfuf
nut slightly resembles bitter walnat b External
appearance, yet il often attains 10 the sxe of an
rind covering thin shell. When dried, the out-
side Of the shell il Of dark brown color whiIe the
inside II whitish, with beantiful pearly surface.
The kernel Of the nut grows in the form of snake,
resembling the head Of tie snake, and from t1is il
gradually tapers, in coils, To the other extremity
The entire length Of ths kernel, 4 uncoied, would
be from alx t1 eight inches, according to the size
| Of the nut When fresh from the tree, The kernel
may be thus uaeoiIed, and Il suspended IN bottle
Of Spirits, u appears Nike miniature snake.
stxfiE eHS tt<@A &fEE9s tlt& AekMtl HHtE
dlis the shelI bnt when Ii ripeus, and hss been
kept for a long time, the kernel becomes sunken,
j hard, and of a dark woody appearance more
nearly resembling dried snake than anyahing else
with which we car compare IT. The aexpentine
Il form Of the embroy mag be distinctly observed,
" ON izst opening the shell although II ii entirely
covered By q hin broH Hnish silky asin. This skin
Il may be easily refhoxsd Ss thba shs psfiect form
separated than In the real snakAs Tie spaces
within the coils Of a green nat are Gflsd WITH .
\ downy, or siiken substance, which haEt*ns Nben
drying ret i y easily removed. When vegetssng,
its r0Qtgerm springs from the small end pf the en-
bryo. GHder microscope, the appearance Of tie
interior Of the kernel is very much ike that of
4 piece of coarse grained maple sugar.
The traveller who discovered and named tho
| Victoria reg5n Sir =. H Schomburgh- ALSO dis
covered and named this remarkable nut. He first
saw it in Demerara, and gave II the name Of ophio-
\ cdiy0is pdTnd0TuHe, ox par adoxieaI snake nut.
The snakenut tree which bears this singular seed,
| Is said to belong to the soap-nnt family. Speci-
mems of this remarkable Vegetable pfo6uctfon
were sent to the exhibition A. the Crystal Palace
at London, in 1851 also at The bEtson II Dub
lin. a few Of these nuts were neceHtig brought to
\ New York by Mr.. Bernhard Iss& ssho was q fisi-
dent Of Bemarara for twenty years. Ind f0r several
4 years the Venezuelan Consul in British Naianna.
| To him are we indebted for the p0sssssfon OF D
specimen Of this great curiosity, and as nlost Of
the facts pertaining to it.
/ The spakes nut Is truly among the nlast rsuaark
able, and seemingly parade xieai, producs.ons o.
i the vegetable kingdom. Why the kernel of a nut
growing on certain kind of d tree should inyari-
ably assume the form of snake in coiIed posi-
ton, is one of the mysteries of uatnTe which Ahe
does not reveal to casual observers. Having made
extensive, yet fruitess, researches In tile moAt
complete works on natural history and botany fof
some account Of this nystsrions nut, We have
} como to the conclusion that its hstery has not
Il The natives regard this nut as d warnng Of dan.
ger, because where 1t GROWS, there III found ven
/ omous snake, the bite Of which y certain death