_Carapa guianensis_).--This is a sort of vegetable
butter, being sometimes solid and sometimes half fluid, which is
obtained from the seed of a large tree abundant in the forests of
Guiana, and also found in Trinidad. It is said to turn rancid very
soon when exposed to the air, but this is probably caused by the
presence of impurities, arising from the crude and imperfect way in
which it is prepared by the natives, who boil the kernels, leave them
in a heap for a few days, then skim them, and lastly reduce them into
a paste in a wooden mortar, which is then spread on an inclined board,
and exposed to the heat of the sun, so that the oil may melt and
gradually trickle down into a vessel placed below to receive it. A
prize medal was awarded for this oil at the Great Exhibition in 1851.

Carap oil in Trinidad is highly esteemed as an unguent for the hair,
and also for applying to the wounds of animals, for destroying ticks
and other insects which infest cattle--also for the cure of
rheumatism. An oil called Carap oil is also obtained in the East, from
the almonds of _Xylocarpus granatum_, or _Carapa Molluccensis_, of
Lanark, which is used by the natives to dress the hair and anoint the
skin, so as to keep off insects.

Cacao fat, the butter-like substance obtained from the seeds of
_Theobroma cacao_, is esteemed as an emollient.

The nuts of the Great Macaw tree (_Acrocomia fusiformis_), a majestic
species of palm, furnishes much oil. This tree is the _Cocos
fusiformis_, of Jacquin, and other intertropical botanists. It is a
native of Trinidad and Jamaica, and is found also very commonly in
South America.

The method of extracting the oil is as follows:--The nut or kernel is
slightly roasted and cleaned, then ground to a paste, first in a mill,
and then on a livigating stone. This paste, gently heated and mixed
with 3-10ths of its weight of boiling water, is put into a bag, and
the oil expressed between two heated plates of iron; it yields about
7-10ths or 8-10ths of oil. If discolored it can be purified, when
melted, by filtration. It is then of the consistence of butter, of a
golden yellow hue, the odor that of violets, and the taste sweetish.
If well preserved it will keep several years without spoiling, which
is known to have taken place by the loss of its golden hue and
delightful aroma.

It is frequently sold in the shops as palm oil, and of late has
entered largely into the composition of toilet soaps. As an e