OF THE AMAZON. 333 



end of which the woman sits, and thus presses out the remaining 

 liquid. These cylinders, called " tipitis," are also a considerable 

 article of trade, and the Portuguese and Brazilians have not 

 yet introduced any substitute for this rude Indian press. The 

 pulp is then turned out, a dry compact mass, which is broken 

 up, and the hard lumps and fibres picked out, when it is at 

 once roasted on large flat ovens from four to six feet in diameter, 

 with a sloping rim about six inches high. These ovens are 

 well made, of clay mixed with the ashes of the bark of a tree 

 called " caripeY' and are supported on walls of mud about two 

 feet high,with a large opening on one side, in which to make 

 a fire of logs of wood. The mandiocca cakes, or " beijii," 

 thus prepared, are. sweet and agreeable to the taste ; but the 

 Indians generally first soak the roots some days in water, 

 which softens and ferments them, and gives the bread a sour 

 taste, much relished by the natives, but not generally so agreeable 

 to Europeans. The bread is made fresh every day, as when it 

 gets cold and dry it is far less palatable. The women thus 

 have plenty to do, for every other day at least they have to go 

 to the field, often a mile or two distant, to fetch the root, and 

 every day to grate, prepare, and bake the bread ; as it forms 

 by far the greater part of their food, and they often pass days 

 without eating anything else, especially when the men are 

 engaged in clearing the forest. For the greater part of the 

 year, however, the men go daily to fish, and at these times they 

 have a good supply of this their favourite food. Meat and 

 game they only eat occasionally ; they prefer jabutis, or land- 

 tortoises, monkeys, inambus (Tinamus sp.), toucans, and the 

 smaller species of wild pig (Dicotyles torquatus). But they will 

 not eat the large wild pig (D. labiatus\ the anta (Tapirus 

 Americanus), or the white-rumped mutun (Crax globiceraf}. 

 They consume great quantities of peppers (species of Capsicum), 

 preferring the small red ones, which are of excessive pungency : 

 when they have no fish, they boil several pounds of these 

 peppers in a little water, and dip their bread into the fiery soup 

 thus formed. 



The poisonous juice expressed from the mandiocca root, 

 when fermented and boiled in various ways, forms sauces and 

 peculiarly flavoured drinks, of which they are very fond. In 

 making their bread they have a peculiarity, not noticed among 

 the neighbouring tribes, of extracting pure tapioca from the 



