THE MANDIOC. 



179 



The rind of those species of mandioc which are 

 in general use is of a dark brown colour, but 

 there is one kind of which the rind is white. 



The most expensive part of the process of 

 making the flour of the mandioc, consists in 

 disengaging the rind from the root ; this is done 

 with difficulty, by means of a piece of a broken 

 blunt knife, a sharp pebble, or a small shell, 

 with one of which each person is supplied ; in 

 this work a considerable number of persons 

 must be occupied, to furnish employment to the 

 wheel which grinds the root. This wheel is 

 placed in a frame, and a handle is fixed to it on 

 each side, by which it may be turned by two 

 men, one of them working at each of the 

 handles. A trough stands under the wheel, 

 and the wheel is cased in copper, which is made 

 rough by means of holes punched in it; the 

 sides of the holes are not filed smooth. The 

 mandioc is thrust against the wheel whilst it is 

 turned with great velocity, and being by this 

 means ground, it falls into the trough under- 

 neath. From hence the ground pulp is put into 

 a press, that the juice may be extracted ; and 

 after it has undergone sufficient pressure, this 

 pulp or paste (maga) is removed on to a hot 

 hearth, upon which a person is employed to 

 keep it in continual motion, that it may not be 

 burnt ; when quite crisp it is taken off the hearth, 



N 2 



