GOLD WASHING. 53 



to put the gold in when found. They also 

 take a few half gourds dried, to wash the 

 earth in, and a grass hammock to sleep in, 

 and away they start, driving their animals 

 before them, each man carrying his machete 

 or short heavy broad sword, and some, bows 

 and arrows. The part of the country is 

 almost uninhabited, and, on their arrival at 

 the different streams, they generally separate, 

 and each pair chooses a spot often miles 

 apart, where they commence operations. The 

 first thing is to build a " Ramada," or hut of 

 branches, as the name signifies; but they 

 always select a place where two good-sized 

 trees are near enough together, to enable 

 them to swing their hammocks between them. 

 With a few poles and branches with the leaf 

 on, a hut is made in two or three hours ; the 

 man then makes a pile of dry wood near at 

 hand, and leaves the entire care of the house- 

 hold to the woman, who grinds the corn, and 

 every day makes a few cakes, looking like 

 thin pancakes, which are toasted on a flat 

 earthen pan over the wood ashes. Their 

 drink is a little maize meal and cacao nut 

 ground together, mixed with water and 

 stirred up in a gourd ; and thus the pair ve- 

 getate for two or three months, supported by 



