THE MANDIOC. 



177 



whose care these things are placed. * Of the 

 deadly nature of this worm I never heard any 

 mention. The species of mandioc which is 

 called manipeba is prohibited, owing to the 

 greater activity of its poisonous juice, and it is 

 now almost extirpated ; it had the advantage of 

 greater durability under ground. Those kinds 

 which are usually planted decay if the stalk 

 is broken off, but the stalks of the manipeba may 

 be cut away, and the root will still continue 

 sound until, on the following year, a new stalk 

 springs up. I have heard it said, that in the 

 dry soils of the Mata a few of the other varieties 



* Du Tertre speaks of the savages making use in their 

 dishes of lean de manyoc. — Histoire des Antilles, &c. 

 torn. ii. p. 389. 



" Nos sauvages qui en mettent (the juice of the mandioc) 

 dans toutes leurs sauces n'en sont jamais incommodes farce 

 quits ne sen servent jamais que quand il a bouilli." — Nouveau 

 Voyage, &c. torn. i. p. 400. 



Likewise in the " Voyage a la Guiane," p. 101., " Le sue de 

 manioc cet instrument de mort devient, travaille" par les Creoles 

 de Cayenne, une sauce appetissante ct salutaire." 



" The juice is boiled with meat and seasoned, and makes 

 excellent soup, which is termed casserepo, and used in pep- 

 per-pot and sauces." — Voyage to the Demerary, &c. by 

 H. Bolingbroke, p. 149. 



Dr. Pinckard mentions having tasted in the colony of 

 Demerary of the juice of the cassada prepared as sauce. — 

 Notes on the West-Indies, vol. ii. p. 257. 



During the famine of 1793, the people of Pernambuco. 

 made use of the juice as food ; but in times of plenty it is 

 regarded as being unfit for any purpose. It is by evapora- 

 tion that it loses its poisonous qualities. 



VOL. II N 



