38 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bni.L. 79 



wash their mouths every morning. This drink has now to be pre- 

 pared. The slayer as well as his wife and daughter together grasp 

 a small clay pot, called yukunda^ pour water into it from a larger 

 vessel, and together place it on the fire. As soon as the drink lias 

 boiled the whuea takes a little of it in a small gourd, mutters an 

 incantation over it, and passes it to the slayer who washes his mouth 

 with it without swallowing much of it. Thereafter the whuea in 

 the same way gives of the drink to the wife and the daughter of the 

 slayer, who likewise wash their mouths with it. The small clay pot 

 is then taken off the fire and laid aside. The three persons are now 

 properly purified for breaking the fast. 



The wife of the slayer goes to fetch the edible top of a small palm 

 which the Jibaros call tingiini, which is put on the fire to be roasted, 

 exactly on the same place where the guayusa pot had lain. At an- 

 other fire in the house beans have before been cooked, and at a third 

 manioc, afterwards mashed, a dish called nauma. As soon as the 

 palm top is sufficiently roasted the women move over to this fire, take 

 a dish with beans, and another dish with boiled manioc {nauma). 

 The three principal persons, the slayer himself and his wife and 

 daughter, now have to break the fast after the " washing of the 

 blood." The whuea at first gives juice of tobacco to the slayer through 

 the nose. Then with two fingers he takes a little of the palm top 

 (flru/imi), spits on the ground, mutters an incantation over it and 

 puts it directly into the mouth of the slayer, who swallows it. Then 

 with two fingers he takes a few beans, and lastly also a small piece 

 of boiled manioc together with a little salt and a little pimiento or 

 Indian pepper, and gives them to the slayer with the same ceremony. 

 Exactly the same action is repeated with his wife and his daughter, 

 each of whom likewise receives a little of the dishes mentioned. The 

 vessels with the food are subsequently carried away by the other 

 women. 



Meanwhile food has also been cooked for the guests in the women's 

 department of the house. This food essentially consists of boiled 

 chicken. If there are swine in the house, one is also slaughtered 

 and prepared, but according to old tradition boiled chicken is the 

 main dish at the feast numhuimartinyu. 



A general banquet now commences, at which the guests eat chicken 

 and manioc, whereas the slayer, his wife, and daughter eat the palm 

 top tingimi, beans, and manioc. 



After the ban(iuet the last ceremony takes place, which consists in 

 the slayer being painted with genipa (sua). The slayer seats himself 

 on a bank in front of the pot containing the black dye, and the lohuea 

 places himself at his side, grasps his hand, makes him dip his index 

 finger in the solution and apply a broad stroke with it over the mouth 

 so that both lips are painted black. Thereafter the old man draws a 



