'2Q CULTURE OF THE YAM. 



land ag'ain I never saw the slightest attempt at 

 g-ardening-. 



The principal 3^am^ or that known by the names of 

 kutai and ketai, is the most important article of veg"e- 

 table food^as it lasts nearly throug'hout the dry season. 

 Forming- a yam g'arden is a very simple operation. 

 No fencing- is required^ — the patch of g'round is 

 stre\^'ed with branches and wood^ which when 

 thoroug-hl}' dry are set on iire to clear the surface^ — 

 the g-round is loosely turned up with a sharpened 

 sticky and the cut jiieces of yam are planted at 

 irreg-ular intervals^ each with a small pole for the 

 plant to climb up. These operations are completed 

 just before the commencement of the wet season^ or 

 in the month of October. 



When the rains set in the biyu becomes the prin- 

 cipal support of the Cape York and Muralug* people. 

 This is a g'rey slimy paste procured from a species of 

 mangTove (CandeUa ?) the sprouts of which^ three or 

 four inches long-^ are first made to underg'o a process 

 of baking- and steaming-- a larg-e heap being- laid 

 upon heated stones, and covered over with bark, wet 

 leaves, and sand— after which they are beaten between 

 two stones, and the pulp is scraped out fit for use. 

 It does not seem to be a favourite food, and is 

 probably eaten from sheer necessity. Mixed up 

 with the biyu to render it more palatable they 

 sometimes add larg-e quantities of a leguminous seed, 

 the gize of a chestnut, which has previously been 

 soaked for a nig'ht in water, and the husk removed, 



