TRADITIONAL LORE. 213 
The ancient marriage ceremony was very simple; 
the man and woman dug and washed some cas- 
sava, boiled it, and baked very thick cakes. From 
the liquor, boiled down, they made a drink which 
they mixed with rum and resinous leaves. These 
things were placed on a table around which were 
seated the man and woman, her father and mother, 
and two witnesses. The father cut the cassava into 
six pieces, and handed one to the groom, who dipped 
it in the liquor and gave it to his Bride. She in turn 
dipped another piece, given her by her mother, and 
gave it to the groom. After this solemn ceremony 
came feasting and drinking to the extent the groom’s 
purse would allow. 
The inhabitants of the village were preparing cas- 
sava, or rather they were making “farine” from the 
cassava root, and Captain George and I went over to 
the river where the women were at work. The juice 
of the cassava ( Fatropha manzhot) is very poisonous. 
Cattle and children often die from eating the raw 
tubers, or drinking water containing the juice. To 
prepare it for use, the natives scrape off the dark 
outer cuticle, wash the tuber thoroughly and grate it; 
it is then again washed, and a small portion at a 
time wrung out dry in a cloth, leaving it in dry cakes 
which crumble. ‘It is then sifted, rubbed through a 
sieve of reeds split and woven, and afterwards baked 
in very thin cakes on a large iron plate, over a hot 
fire. These cakes will keep a long time; they are 
hung up over a pole or line, and used as wanted. 
In some islands the people make more of the farine, 
the grated root dried on a large copper or iron plate, 
