868 NIEUHOFF*S BRAZIL. 



poifonous ; whereas a certain fort of great pifmires and adders, toads, worms, and wild 

 rats, are eaten by the natives, without any harm. 



The moft univerfal food of the Brazilians, is the flour made of the mandioka-root, 

 called by them Vi, and Farinha de Mandioka by the Portuguefe, as has been (hewn 

 more at large before. They feed alfo upon the flefh of feveral wild beads and birds, 

 crabs, craw-fifhes, fruits, herbage ; their meat, whether boiled or roafted, they eat 

 half raw. They boil in earthen-pots, called Kamu, which they make themfelves. Their 

 flefh they roafl: thus ; they dig a hole in the ground, the bottom of which they cover 

 with leaves of trees, and upon them lay meal to be roafled, which being covered with 

 the: fame leaves, they throw fand or earth upon them. Upon this they light a good 

 fire, which they continue till they think it fufficiently roafl:ed. If they hit it right, it 

 eats very well, exceeding in goodnefs all other roafl:ed meats ; they call it Biaribi. 

 Their fifties, whether roaflied or boiled, they eat with Inquitaya, rhat is, fait and pepper. 

 They boil their crabs or craw-fiflies with fait, and eat them with inquitaya. Small 

 fifties they wrap in leaves, and roafl; them in the aflies. They take the flour of the 

 mandioka root with their three hindermofl: fingers of the right-hand, and fo throw it 

 into the mouth ; in the fame manner they do with beans, and fuch like things ; they 

 eat often, both by day and night, they having no fet times for their meals, without the 

 leaft; noife, or any drink, which they referve till after they have done. They feldom 

 ufe any fpoons, but inft:ead of that their fingers, or fome oyft:er-fliell or other ferves 

 their turn. The flefli of feveral wild beaflis is much in efl:eem among the Brazilians ; 

 as for infl:ance, that of the great and leflfer wild boars ; they have a bunch like a camel 

 on their backs, and are very good food, as well as the flefli of the river pigs, called 

 Kapiverres by the Portuguefe, which is of a very agreeable taflie. 



The mofl: general and mofl; wholefome liquor ufed among the Brazilians, is their 

 river or fountain-water, which, by reafon of its coolnefs, is a great refrefliment to fuch 

 as are tired by the heat, or the fatigues of other exercifes ; this is chiefly to be under- 

 fl:ood of their fpring-water, which, though ufed here in great quantities, never caufes 

 any griping in the guts, or other inconveniences in the bowels, but, on the contrary, 

 occafions a good appetite, and is foon evacuated by fweating. 



The waters of the rivers Paray and Paratybi, are accounted a good remedy againfl: 

 the flone and gout, which is the reafon that many arrive to the age of above one hun- 

 dred years, who drink nothing but thofe waters, and are never troubled with any of 

 thofe difliempers ; for thofe who are advanced in age are as nice in the different tafl:es of 

 thofe waters as the Europeans in their wines ; and they look upon thofe as indifcreet 

 who ufe the waters without difliinftion. For, fince mofl: of their fprings arife among 

 the high eafliern hills, they receive no addition either from the fnows or any metallic 

 bodies, and, being well digeflied and purged from their dregs by the heat of the fun- 

 beams, they are very clear and wholefome ; though it mufl: be confeflTed, that in the 

 winter-months, fome waters, by reafon of the rains, are not fine and cool as during 

 the fummer-feafon. The negroes make fometimes a nafliy mixture of black-fugar and 

 water only, without the leaft fermentation, which they call Garapa ; this, as it is very 

 cheap, fo both men and women fit at it for twenty-four hours together, fpending their 

 time in drinking, finging, and dancing, but feldom quarrel, unlefs they have conceived 

 fome jealoufy of one another. Sometimes they add to it fome leaves of the Akaju-tree, 

 which, by reafon of their hot quality, make it the more heady. The Portuguefe and 

 Dutch frequently make a kind of forbette, of water, fugar, and lemons. Others pour 

 water upon certain herbs ; others put a lemon only in water. But befides thefe, the Bra- 

 zilians know how to make wines, or cyder, out of feveral roots and fruits, which they 

 lo drink 



