A WARU HOUSE. 227 



pressed, and baked, it is as wholesome as any ; though, 

 perhaps, if some of our careful sisters and aunts and 

 mothers knew that fresh tapioca is a deadly poison, 

 they would be a little timid about using it. 



The tapioca is prepared by shredding the roots — 

 the part of the plant used — into thin shavings. This 

 is done by means of a board into which is fastened in 

 regular rows a number of pieces of sharp stone or, of 

 late years, iron nails, over which the roots are dragged. 



The next process in order is to get rid of its poi- 

 sonous juices in various ways, by subjecting it to 

 pressure of some kind, but lastly and most effectually 

 by putting it into what is called the tipita or native 

 press. 



The tipita is an elongated cyHndrieal basket. This 

 basket, woven of the bark of a particular kind of 

 palm tree, is very elastic in the middle, and quite stiff 

 and unelastic at the ends. It is first stuffed as tightly 

 as possible with the shredded cassava, which naturally 

 has the effect of making it very much shorter and 

 very much thicker in the middle. Beneath the tipita 

 is placed a bowl of coarse earthenware, such as these 

 Indians make, to catch the juice. A great stone, or 

 something as heavy as possible, fastened to the lower 

 end, elongates and narrows it and forces out the juice 

 that yet remains in the cassava. A pole is then fas- 

 tened in a strong loop at the lower end of the tipita, 

 and the shorter end secured to one of the posts sup- 

 porting the roof ; upon the longer end of the pole is 

 then hung the weight, which is further increased by 

 an Indian, or, it may be, as many as can conven- 



