164 LOWER AMAZONS—OBYDOS TO MANAOS. Cuap. VII. 
tribes on the Japurd make it up in the form of a black paste, by a mode 
of preparation I could not learn ; it is then called Tucupi-pixima, or black 
Tucupi. I have seen the Indians on the Tapajos, where fish is scarce, 
season Tucupi with Saiiba ants. It is there used chiefly as a sauce to 
Tacaca, another preparation from mandioca, consisting of the starch 
beaten up in boiling water. 
I thoroughly enjoyed the nine days we spent at this place. Our host 
and hostess took an interest in my pursuit ; one of the best chambers in 
the house was given up to me, and the young men took me long 
rambles in the neighbouring forests. I saw very little hard work going 
forward. Every one rose with the dawn, and went down to the river to 
bathe ; then came the never-failing cup of rich and strong coffee, after 
which all proceeded to their avocations. At this time nothing was 
being done at the plantations ; the cacao and tobacco crops were not 
ripe ; weeding time was over, and the only work on foot was the pre- 
paration of a little farinha by the women. The men dawdled about; 
went shooting and fishing, or did trifling jobs about the house. The 
only laborious work done guring the year in these establishments is 
the felling of timber for new clearings ; this happens at the beginning 
of the dry season—namely, from July toSeptember. Whatever employ- 
ment the people were engaged in, they did not intermit it during the 
hot hours of the day. Those who went into the woods took their 
dinners with them—a small bag of farinha and a slice of salt fish. 
About sunset all returned to the house; they then had their frugal 
suppers, and towards eight o’clock, after coming to ask a blessing of 
the patriarchal head of the household, went off to their hammocks to 
sleep. 
There was another visitor besides ourselves, a negro, whom Joao 
Trinidade introduced to me as his oldest and dearest friend, who had 
saved his life during the revolt of 1835. I have, unfortunately, for- 
gotten his name; he was a freeman, and had a sitio of his own, situated 
about a day’s journey from this. There was the same manly bearing 
about him that I had noticed with pleasure in many other free negroes ; 
but his quiet, earnest manner, and the thoughtful and benevolent 
expression of his countenance showed him to be a superior man of his 
class. He told me he had been intimate with our host for thirty years, 
and that a wry word had never passed between them. At the com- 
mencement of the disorders of 1835 he got into the secret of a plot for 
assassinating his friend, hatched by some villains whose only cause of 
enmity was their owing him money and envying his prosperity. It was 
such as these who arouséd the stupid and brutal animosity of the Muras 
against the whites. The negro, on obtaining this news, set off alone 
in a montaria on a six hours’ journey in the dead of night, to warn 
his “ compadre” of the fate in store for him, and thus gave him time 
to fly. It was a pleasing sight to notice the cordiality of feeling and 
respect for each other shown by these two old men. They used to 
spend hours together enjoying the cool breeze, seated under a shed 
which overlooked the broad river, and talking of old times. 
Joao Trinidade was famous for his tobacco and Tauari cigarettes. 
He took particular pains in preparing the Tauari, the envelope of the cigar- 
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