On the Native Drinks of the Guianese Indian. 133 
and diluted in water, is taken in the morning as a kind of tea. The beverage 
is bitter and stomachic, but it appeared to me [says Humboldt] to have a 
very disagreeable taste (AVH. ii. 365). 
Plantain drink, is recorded by Gumilla from the Orinoco. Before getting 
too much sun-dried, the Indians knead plantains with warm water, and the 
dough which takes on acidity, strained subsequently with warm water into jars 
terments like must, which results in a very strong drink that even in small 
quantities produces drunkenness (G. ii. 239). 
Couscou was a banana-drink [ ? fermented] made by the Carib Islanders 
(ROP. 501). 
Yahe, says Crevaux, is an intoxicating liquor made from a certain bark, but 
no further particulars given, macerated in water: he met with it among the 
Coreguajes of the upper Yapura R., one of the northern branches of the 
Amazon (Cr. 362). 
(ILL.) Non-FerMENTED Liquors. 
Of the many non-fermented liquors known to the Indians, perhaps the most 
important on the coast-lands is that obtained from the Ite-palm (Mauritia 
flecuosa) either from the trunk or from the fruits. In the former case, the tree 
has to be felled : when fallen, a concavity is made in the upper surface about 
the middle of the trunk, the excavation is covered with leaves, and in about 
half-an-hour’s time, the sap will be found collecting there : 1¢ is drunk without 
any further preparation. Tais beverage is the Warrau ohi(ju)-hobi, 1/t., ite 
drink, and the pulke of the Orinoco Indians (G. i. 147). Among the Macusis, 
to accelerate the collection of the sap, the upper end of the trunk is raised on a 
scaffolding of about a foot to 18in. high, and a fire lighted under its whole 
length (SR. ii. 203). When the drink is made from the fruits the tree need not 
necessarily be sacrified. The large bunches of fruits when more or less mature 
are stacked in a close heap and covered with a thick layer oi the leaves for some 
four days, at the end of which time the fruits will all be found to have dropped 
from their stalks. The Indian now digs a pit in the swampy ground, about 
three feet wide by two feet deep, into which the water wells up from below, 
and into this he throws basketful after basket ful of the fruits. A thick covering 
composed of many layers of ite leaves, is again placed over the whole which is 
left as it is for about eight days. By this time, the seed coverings will have 
become soft, and hence can now be easily scraped off, a procedure in which the 
Indian will be probably assisted by his family who either come and work at 
it on the spot, or else carry the mush home with them. At any rate, when 
once removed, this soft stuff is mixed, as required, with water and a little 
honey, and thus drunk. It tastes nice and is said to be very fattening. 
The Turu (Oenocarpus Bacaba) and Manicole (Euterpe edulis) drink, being 
prepared on identical lines may be described together. When the fruits are 
ripe (7.e., black) the palm is felled, ifthe Indian is too lazy or unable to climb. 
They are packed in baskets, carried home, where they are placed in 
the wooden trough and warm water poured over them. (Boiling water 
would render them hard.) Here they are left for twenty minutes or so 
when they will be found soft. They are then removed from the trough and 
pounded in a mortar, the seeds being either picked out by hand or allowed to 
