132 Timehri. 
Maize drink runs the various products of cassava very closely in the way of a 
favourite alcoholic liquor and its methods of production afford interesting illus- 
tration of the different ways by which fermentation may be secured. Starting 
with the Orinoco, Gumilla tells us how from maize, ground with the vigour of 
a woman’s arms, the Indians make their loaves which, enclosed in leaves, they 
cook not in an oven but in boiling water, having some very large earthen vessels 
(ollas) for the purpose. They call this bread cayzw: they usually crumble it 
when it is fresh, and knead it up a second time in a large quantity of hot water: 
having crushed to powder four of these old loaves full of mould, which they call 
subibizu, they mix the said powder into that liquid dough which, placed in large 
earthen jars (¢inajas), effervesces on the third day, there resulting achicha or 
healthy beer, iftaken in moderation (G. ii. 242). The same method of prepara 
tion was apparently practised in Surinam for Stedman speaks of a beverage 
(chiacoar) composed from the maize or Indian corn, which is first ground and 
baked into bread, after which it is crumbled and macerated with water till it 
ferments (ST. i. 392). Crevaux’s description differs from the above in the 
addition of sugar :—With banana leaves, the Indians make up parcels contain- 
ing 2 to 3 kilograms of maize-meal : they boil these for 10 hours in a saucepan 
containing water, and then hang them up in their huts or leave them out in the 
air for from 15 to 20 days : these become covered with a mould which is yellow 
on the elevated plains but green on the warm lands : it is now time for them to 
take the parcels down, and dissolve their contents in water containing a small 
quantity of Panela (7.e., non-refined sugar made wp into cakes of the shape of a 
brick) : this is then strained through a rough sifter, and the fluid collected in a 
wooden vessel where it undergoes alcoholic fermentation, and according as the 
temperature is cold or hot, from 4 days to 24 hours is required for this (Cr. 
405-6). In British Guiana, certainly on the Pomeroon, the maize after being 
pounded (if dry), or grated (if fresh) i is thrown into warm water and boiled : 
chewed Kereli is then added, and the liquor strained next day : within three 
days it is ready for consumption. 
Pine-Apple Juice, an intoxicating liquor, is prepared by peeling the fruit 
and grating it on a sieve, allowing the juice to take its own time to ferment. 
The Arawaks have no special word for it, just calling it nanna-ura, Lit., pine- 
juice. 
The Wild Cashew (Anacardium rhinocarpus) similarly yields a very pleasant 
alcoholic drink : Arawaks call it obudi-ura, lit., cashew-juice. 
Cane-juice similarly requires no special preparation. While the sugar-cane 
is being squeezed in the “’ mill,” the juice trickles down the artificial gutter 
whence it is collected. It takes some three weeks to fully ferment, and is 
highly intoxicating. The doubtfully Indian name, on the Pomeroon at least, 
is warrap. 
Cupana. The Indians of Yavita fon the Atabapo R., a branch of the upper 
Orinoco] scrape the seeds [of a species of Paullinia], mix them with flour of 
cassava, envelope the mass in plantain leaves, and set it to ferment in water, 
till it acquires a saffron yellow colour. This yellow paste, dried in the sun, 
