24 PHAON COMET HUMMING-BIRD. 



steep sides of the valleys, rising to an 

 amazing height above the level of the sea. 

 The plant is about the size of our English 

 blackthorn, and has a shining green foliage 

 and small white flowers, which ripen into 

 scarlet berries. 



The berries are not used, but the leaves 

 are gathered and dried in the sun. They 

 are chewed by the Indian with great 

 delight ; and he is never seen without his 

 leathern pouch full of coca, and which also 

 contains a little box of powdered lime. 



His manner of chewing is to work up 

 the morsel of coca into a ball, then, taking 

 it from his mouth, he plunges a piece of 

 wood like a tooth-pick into the lime, and 

 pierces the ball through and through with 

 it until it gets the taste of lime. That is 

 just how he likes it. ' 



But one ball will not content him, and 

 he goes on chewing until he is often in a 



