observed to me that it was rich in sago which, she said, one 
is able to determine by the viscid quality of the pith (PLATE 
XCIV). She observed, too, that it felt exactly like processing 
sago-rich Mauritia pith, except that she had to exert more 
pressure kneading the pith of Manicaria, because it was 
more ligneous than the other. Another difference between 
processing the two starches was that she had to wait longer 
for the Manicaria starch to settle at the bottom of the trough. 
She said that the resulting meal was of a lighter quality. 
After waiting for ten minutes in the shade of a windscreen 
(made of two temiche leaves stuck in the ground), the 
woman began to drain the water carefully by ladling it out 
of the trough with her calabash (PLate XCV). She then 
shaped the meal into a ball of light brown sago and, in doing 
so, proved conclusively that Manicaria saccifera must be 
counted among the sago-producing genera of the palms 
(PLATE XCVI). 
The total process of crushing, washing, and collecting the 
sago took approximately thirty working minutes. 
Upon completion of her work, the woman painstakingly 
washed her strainer to remove all particles from between 
the basketry strands (PLare XCVII). This act would pre- 
vent the strainer from rotting. Next, she pulled the four 
uprights out of the ground and tossed them to the side 
(PLate XCVIII). This would prevent malignant shamans 
from blowing on them, causing her arms to hurt. Finally, 
the man picked up the heavy trough and carried it a short 
distance away. This would make it more difficult for 
youngsters to poke inside with their machetes. People after 
mischief might do this to afflict the sago washer with ailing 
arms and shoulders. 
From the opening in the trunk, which was | m. long, the 
woman collected two calabashes packed to the brim with 
pith. The calabash used was 25 cm. long, 17.5 cm. wide, and 
12 cm. deep. From that much pith, the woman washed out 
750 gr. of sago. It had been ascertained that the trunk of the 
felled Manicaria contained starch within 3 m. of its upper 
[ 318 ] 
