35* ULLOA S VOYAGE TO SOUTH AMERICA. 



CHAP, VIII. — Of the efculent Vegetables produced in the Territories of Carthagena^ 

 and the Food of the Inhabitants of that City. 



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THOUGH Carthagena has not the convenience of being furniflied by its foil with 

 the different kinds of European vegetables, it does not want for others, far from being 

 contemptible, and of which the inhabitants eat with pleafure. Even the Europeans, 

 who at their firft coming cannot eafily take up with them, are not long before they 

 like them fo well as to forget thofe of their own country. 



The conftant moifture and heat of this climate will not admit of barley, wheat, and 

 other grain of this kind ; but produces excellent maize and rice in fuch abundance, 

 that a bufhel of maize fown, ufually produces an hundred at harveft. From this 

 grain they make the boUo or bread, ufed in all this country ; they alfo ufe it in 

 feeding hogs and fattening poultry. The maize boUo has no refemblance to the bread 

 made of wheat, either in (hape or tafte. It is made in form of a cake ; is of a white 

 colour, and an infipid tafte. The method of making it is to foak the maize, and 

 afterwards bruife it between two ftones ; it is then put into large bins filled with 

 water, where by rubbing and Ihifting it from one veffel into another, they clear it 

 from its hufk ; after this it is ground into a pafte, of which the bollos are made. 

 Thefe bollos being wrapped up in plantane or vijahua leaves, are boiled in water, 

 and ufed as bread ; but after twenty-four hours, become tough and of a difagreeable 

 tafte. In families of diftinftion the bollo is kneaded with milk, which greatly im- 

 proves it, but being not thoroughly penetrated by the liquids, it never rifes, nor 

 changes its natural colour ; fo that inftead of a pleafing tafte, it has only that of the 

 flour of maize. 



Befides the bollo * here is alfo the cafava bread, very common among the negroes, 

 made from the roots of yuca, names, and moniatos. After carefully taking off the 

 upper Ikin of the root, they grate it, and fteep it in water, in order to free it from a 

 ftrong acrid juice, which is a real poifon, particularly that of the moniato. The water 

 being feveral times fhifted, that nothing of this acrimony may remain, the dough is 

 made into round cakes about two feet diameter, and about three or four lines in thick- 

 nefs. Thefe cakes are baked in ovens, on plates of copper, or a kind of brick made 

 for that purpofe. It is a nourifhing and ftrengthening food, but very infipid. * It will 

 keep fo well, that at the end of two months it has the fame tafte as the firft day, except 

 being more dry. 



Wheat bread is not entirely uncommon at Carthagena ; but, as the flour comes from 

 Spain, the price of it may well be conceived to be above the reach of the generality. 

 Accordingly it is ufed only by the Europeans fettled at Carthagena, and fome few 

 Creoles ; and by thefe only with their chocolate and conferves. At all other meals, fo 

 ftrong is the force of a cuftom imbibed in their infancy, they prefer bollos to wheat 

 bread, and eat honey with cafava. 



They alfo make, of the flour of maize, feveral kinds of paftry, and a variety of 

 foods equally palatable and wholefome j bollo itfelf being never known to difagree with 

 thofe who ufe it, 



* Or cake made of mandioe yams, and fweet potatoes (or camiotes), which they grate and mix toge- 

 ther. The bollo 18 far from infipid, when a proper quantity of the camiote is put in. A, 



Befides 



