ORCHID COLLECTING 289 



tortoises were laying. In the afternoons we would visit 

 the sandbanks in search of their eggs, or we would fish 

 for Morocotos in the placid pools under the copaiba-trees, 

 returning at sunset to our island home, where we would 

 sit on the rocks within the ruddy circle of our camp-fire 

 close to the whirling waters, while Isidor's wife served our 

 dinner out to us. 



Under what different circumstances was I collecting 

 now, sick and disheartened ! — anxiously awaiting the 

 return of those sent to the rescue of the rest of our party, 

 harassed by the contmuous rains and depressed by the 

 gloomy aspect of the sky and scenery. Although we 

 worked hard we obtained but few plants. To make 

 matters worse we were restricted, on account of the 

 scarcity of fresh provisions, to a diet of cassava and tough 

 salted meat. The cassava-plant was the only one that 

 had not suffered much from the protracted drought, so 

 that the women were engaged almost every day in pre- 

 paring cakes and yaraque for the use of the household, 

 there being nothing else to eat at the settlement. The 

 cassava-plant (Manihot utilissima) is of the same family 

 as the tree ^ that produces the rubber shipped from Brazil 

 under the name of Ceara rubber. It is a woody plant, 

 with large tubers possessing a bitter taste. In the raw 

 state or when boiled only the juice of these tubers is 

 highly poisonous, which is due to the presence of hydro- 

 cyanic acid. In Trinidad, where both the sweet ^ and 

 bitter cassava are grown, deaths occur occasionally through 

 one root being mistaken for the other. It is a curious 

 fact that the agouti (Dasyprocta aguti) can eat the 

 poisonous root of the bitter Manihot with impunity. In 

 fact, wherever there I are clearings planted with this tuber, 



' Manihot Gwaziovii. ^ Manihot Aipi. 



U 



