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CARIPI 



existing in the forest which they have never learnt to 

 cultivate seems to show, contrary to the view here ad- 

 vanced, that it is innate stupidity rather than want of 

 materials, that has deprived the Indians of these helps 

 to civihzation. There is a kind of rice, growing wild 

 on the banks of many of the tributaries of the Amazons, 

 which they have never reclaimed, although they have 

 adopted the plant introduced into the country by Euro- 

 peans 



In the evening we had more visitors. The sounds of 

 pipe and tabor were heard, and presently a procession 

 of villagers emerged from a pathway through the man- 

 dioca fields. They were on a begging expedition for 

 St. Thome, the patron saint of Indians and Mamelucos. 

 One carried a banner, on which was rudely painted the 

 figure of St. Thome with a glory round his head. The 

 pipe and tabor were of the simplest description. The 

 pipe was a reed pierced with four holes, by means of 

 which a few unmusical notes were produced, and the 

 tabor was a broad hoop with a skin stretched over each 

 end. A deformed young man played both the instru- 

 ments. Senhor Raimundo received them with the quiet 

 politeness, which comes so naturally to the Indian when 

 occupying the position of host. The visitors, who had 

 come from the Villa de Conde, five miles through the 

 forest, were invited to rest. Raimundo then took the 

 image of St. Thome from one of the party, and placed 

 it by the side of Nossa Senhora in his own oratorio, a 

 little decorated box in which every family keeps its 

 household gods ; finally lighting a couple of wax candles 

 before it. Shortly afterwards a cloth was laid on a mat, 

 and all the guests were invited to supper. The fare was 



^ Many useful vegetable products have been reclaimed, and it 

 is to the credit of the Indians that they have discovered the use 

 of the Mandioca plant, which is highly poisonous in the raw 

 state, and requires a long preparation to fit it for use. It 

 is cultivated throughout the whole of Tropical America, 

 including Mexico and the West Indian Islands, but only in 

 the plains, not being seen, according to Humboldt, higher 

 than 600 to 800 metres, at which elevation it grows, on the 

 Mexican Andes. I believe it is not known in what region 

 the plant originated ; it is not found wild in the Amazons 

 valley. 



