RoTH] SALUTATIONS 627 
dipper of beer, a plate of meat, and bread that they use. The 
other women of the village do the same, with the result that almost 
the whole house [the stranger’s house] is filled with dishes and 
vessels, and all the while not a remark, not a word, is heard. The 
drink in the dippers is white, mulberry tinted, or reddish, accord- 
ing to the fruit or grain from which it is made, and tends to cause 
disgust at first. The Father then asks one of his Indian companions 
for the dish which he fancies and eats what is necessary. But 
the astonishing part about the drinking—and this is where the 
conflict comes in—is that one has to drink, taste, or pretend to 
drink from out of all the dippers. Annoyance and resentment 
would only be caused to the woman who brought the dipper, and 
to her husband, if one were not to taste a little of it. It is, indeed, 
a troublesome business for the Father, but a very pleasant one for 
~the Indians accompanying him, because so soon as he has tasted the 
last cup of beer they remove everything out of the house and eat and 
drink to their heart’s content (G, 1, 309-310). Stools may be brought 
out for the greater comfort of the visitors (GO, 24; RO, 516). 
As in the islands, where the verbal expression of welcome followed, 
and not preceded, that of hospitality, so among the Trio Indians of 
Surinam first came the food and then the welcome. Thus the visi- 
tors squatted down at the entrance of the Trio village. The villagers 
took no notice of their presence, but certain of the women placed in 
the middle of the settlement two fans with cakes on them. The 
visitors (the men) betook themselves in solemn gait to this spot 
and halted there. One after another took a piece of cassava, and 
when the last had taken what was left they all returned to the 
limit of the settlement. Then for the first time came the young men 
of the village to greet them (GO, 24-25). With the Trio of our own 
colony another traveler has noticed what may almost be considered 
a reverse condition of affairs—i. e., first the welcome and then the 
food (JO). 
811. There are one or two other noteworthy facts in connection 
with this ceremonial drink and food distribution that require mention. 
Thus both on the mainland (sec. 279) and in the islands it was not al- 
ways the women who took such a prominent share in the proceedings. 
A man may thus be specially deputed by the head of each village to 
announce the visitors and to supply food, for them (PBA, 186). 
Among the Roucouyenne of the upper Yary, the hosts did not take 
any part in the dancing of the visitors, but only exerted themselves 
in giving warmth to the proceedings by filling them with drink and 
by flute playing. The women lie in their hammocks while their hus- 
bands are doing the honors of the feast (Cr, 104). With the Pari- 
kuta it is the chief himself who hands round the drinks (JO). With 
