Chap. A^II. T'AUlCk SNUFF. 331 



then commence taking the Parica. For this purpose 

 they pair off, and each of the partners, taking a reed 

 containing a quantity of the snuff, after going through 

 a deal of unintelligible mummery, blows the contents 

 with all his force into the nostrils of his companion. 

 The effect on the usually dull and taciturn savages is 

 wonderful ; they become exceedingly talkative, sing, 

 shout, and leap about in the wildest excitement. A 

 re-action soon follows ; more drinking is then necessary 

 to rouse them from their stupor, and thus they carry 

 on for many days in succession. The Mauhes also use 

 the Parica, although it is not known amongst their 

 neighbours the Mundurucus. Their manner of taking 

 it is very different from that of the swinish Muras, it 

 being kept in the form of a paste, and employed chiefly 

 as a preventive against ague in the months between the 

 dry and wet seasons, when the disease prevails. Wlien 

 a dose is required, a small quantity of the paste is dried 

 and pulverised on a flat shell, and the powder then 

 drawn up into both nostrils at once through two vulture 

 quills secured together by cotton thread. The use of 

 Parica was found by the early travellers amongst the 

 Omaguas, a section of the Tupis, who formerly lived 

 on the Upper Amazons, a thousand miles distant from 

 the homes of the Mauhes and Muras. This commu- 

 nity of habits is one of those facts which supjDort the 

 view of the common origin and near relationship of the 

 Amazonian Indians. 



After leaving Matari, we continued our voyage along 

 the northern shore. The banks of the river were of 

 moderate elevation during several days' journey ; the 



