THE MANDIOC. 



181 



pannier or closed basket, and is allowed to 

 remain there for some days, until the root be- 

 comes soft, from which the mandioc, when in 

 this state, is called mandioca molle. It is pre- 

 pared in this manner for the purpose of making 

 cakes, &c. but not, generally, for food. I tried 

 to introduce the Jarinha, made from steeped 

 mandioc, among the slaves whilst I resided at 

 Jaguaribe j the flour which was made from it 

 was much finer than that which is obtained in 

 the usual manner, but the negroes did not like 

 it so well, and I did not think it wholesome for 

 them on consideration, and therefore the old 

 way was continued. The mandioc must have 

 made a certain advance towards putrefaction be- 

 fore it becomes sufficiently soft to be- bruised, 

 and this cannot fail, I should suppose, to be in- 

 jurious. The smell from the mandioca molle is 

 extremely offensive, and is one of the annoy- 

 ances in walking the streets of Recife, in which 



boiling water or gravy. The negroes do not dislike piram, 

 but they are sometimes too idle or too much fatigued to take 

 the trouble of cooking their victuals ; and therefore they eat 

 the Jarinha dry, and their salt meat with it, after having 

 smoke-dried the latter upon a wooden skewer. The disorder 

 which is said to proceed from constantly eating dry Jarinha 

 is the dropsy. The flour of the mandioc swells considerably 

 when it is moistened : if the expansion takes place in the 

 stomach it may be injurious, and this may perhaps afford 

 some reason for the opinion of the Brazilians upon the 

 subject. 



N 3 



