for about half an hour. They are then taken out, and the 
soft inner layer, on the surface of which the red exuda- 
tion has congealed, is rasped off with a knife or machete. 
The shavings or raspings (yd-kee-taa in Puinave) are 
thrown into an earthen pot or enamel tray, and the rest 
of the bark is discarded. When enough shavings have 
been accumulated, a small amount of water is added, 
and the mass is thoroughly kneaded and squeezed. The 
water becomes muddy and assumes a brownish or tan 
hue. This turbid liquid is strained several times, usually 
through a piece of finely hammered bark-cloth (prepared 
from a species of Olmedia) into a small-mouthed earthen- 
ware pot. The residual shavings, when as much of the 
water has been expressed as possible, are thrown away. 
Enough water is added to the strained liquid to fill the 
pot, which is then set to simmer over a slow fire. From 
time to time, a sordid foam, which rises to the surface, 
must be scraped off with a piece of bark. The boiling 
is allowed to continue for three or four hours, more 
water being added if evaporation be too rapid, until 
nothing remains except a thick, dark brown syrup at the 
bottom of the pot. This syrup must not be dried rapidly 
over a fire; the pot is set in the sun, and the syrup is per- 
mitted to solidify slowly. When nothing but a dry, 
brown crust is left, the residue is scraped free from the pot 
and is ground into a fine powder with a water-smoothed 
stone as a pestle and the pot or anenamelware tray as a 
mortar. It is then ready to be mixed with ashes which 
have been made, the while, from the bark of a small 
wild cacao tree (Theobroma subincanum Mart.). Usually 
equal amounts by volume of ashes and ydhee-powder are 
used. When they are thoroughly mixed, the product is 
put into asmall bag made of finely hammered bark (Ol- 
media sp.) or cloth and is sifted through the bag by means 
of a gentle beating against the side of a small-mouthed 
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