324 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 177 
Pottery—F¥ arabee describes Macusi pottery in some detail: 
The Macusis make no fine pottery but their cooking and storage pots are well 
made and more beautiful in form than those of any other of the tropical tribes. 
There is no good potter’s clay in the savannah country, but if there were there 
is little use for it, because the calabash takes the place of pottery vessels and 
serves the purpose much better. ... The coiling process is used in making 
pottery. Fillets of clay are laid on in successive layers, pressed down with the 
fingers and smoothed inside and out by rubbing with a pebble and a piece of 
calabash. The clay is tempered with ashes. The vessel is fired in the open. 
For a large pot, a shallow hole is dug, the pot placed inside bottom upward 
and a fire built over it. While the pot is still hot, cassava juice is poured over 
it to fill up the pores. The large pots for storing or ripening drink may hold as 
much as twenty gallons. They are set against the main posts in the middle 
of the large house for protection. [1924, p. 24.] 
The Wapisiana methods are similar, with the occasional addition 
of simple decoration: ’ 
The Wapisianas are not good potters, partially because there is no fine clay 
in the immediate region. The coiling process is used in manufacturing all kinds 
of pottery. The pot is built up by laying on successive rolls or fillets of clay the 
Size of one’s finger. These are pressed down and made to adhere to the layers 
below; then smoothed on both sides by rubbing with a red jasper pebble and 
“ piece of calabash. When completed the pot is allowed to dry in the shade, 
then burned in an open fire. A hole is dug, the vessel placed in it with the 
mouth down and a fire made of bits of dried palm and soft wood built over it. 
While the vessel is still hot, cassava juice is poured over it to fill the pores. 
Sometimes the clay is tempered with ashes. The cooking-pots usually hold 
about three gallons, but the storage pots for drink may be three or four times 
as large. There are also smaller cooking-pots for use when traveling. 
After the pot has been thoroughly fired it is allowed to cool before being 
painted. A black rock called teal is pulverized and mixed with melted gum 
ealled “diakarieib.” With this the designs are painted on and allowed to dry 
for a time, when the pot is again fired sufficiently to melt the gum. . Another 
gum, “gumanime,” is melted and run all over the pot. When it has cooled it 
is smoothed and polished by rubbing. 
Sometimes the ground work is a red paint made of annato (Biza orellana) 
mixed with the same gum and applied in the same way. When dry, black 
geometrical designs are painted on the vessel, after which it is fired again. 
A white slip made of felspathie clay is often used before either the red or 
black designs are painted on, but not until after the first hard firing. [Farabee, 
1918, pp. 24-25.] 
The only vessel shape that is described is the griddle used for 
making cassava bread and farina. A Macusi griddle is said to be 2 
feet in diameter and 2 inches thick, with the edge turned ‘up. ‘It is 
placed on a tripod support of three stones or three clay pot rests 
8 to 10 inches high (Farabee, 1924, p. 22). The Wapisiana griddle 
is of similar size and form, but is often fixed on a permanent base 
about 12 inches high with an opening at front and back for laying a 
fire beneath. Such an oven may occupy a separate’ building (Fara- 
bee, 1918, p. 21). In 1918, metal substitutes were being introduced 
