24 PALM TREES 



vended in the streets of Para. Indian and negro girls 

 may be constantly seen walking about with small earthen 

 pots on their heads, uttering at intervals a shrill cry of 



Assai i. If you call one of these dusky maidens, 



she will set down her pot, and you will see it filled with 

 a thick creamy liquid, of a fine plum colour. A penny- 

 worth of this will fill a tumbler, and you may then add 

 a little sugar to your taste, and will find a peculiar nut- 

 flavoured liquid, which you may not perhaps think a 

 great deal of at first ; but, if you repeat your experience 

 a few times, you will inevitably become so fond of it as 

 to consider " Assai" one of the greatest luxuries the 

 place produces. It is generally taken with farinha, the 

 substitute for bread prepared from the mandiocca root, 

 and with or without sugar, according to the taste of 

 the consumer. 



During our walks in the suburbs of Para we had 

 frequently opportunities of seeing the preparation of 

 this favourite beverage. Two or three large bunches 

 of fruit are brought in from the forest. The women of 

 the house seize upon them, shake and strip them into 

 a large earthen vessel, and pour on them warm water, 

 not too hot to bear the hand in. The water soon 

 becomes tinged with purple, and in about an hour the 

 outer pulp has become soft enough to rub off. The 

 water is now most of it poured away, a little cold added, 

 and a damsel, with no sleeves to turn up, plunges both 

 hands into the vessel, and rubs and kneads with great 

 perseverance, adding fresh water as it is required, till 

 the whole of the purple covering has been rubbed off 



