214 



THE LOWER AMAZONS 



fishes ; when old it has the taste of essence of anchovies. 

 It is generally made as a liquid, but the Juri and Miranha 

 tribes on the Japura, make it up in the form of a black 

 paste by a mode of preparation I could not learn ; it is 

 then called Tucupi-pixuna, or black Tucupi. I have 

 seen the Indians on the Tapajos, where fish is scarce, 

 season Tucupi with Saiiba ants. It is there used chiefly 

 as a sauce to Tacaca, another preparation from mandioca, 

 consisting of the starch beaten up in boiling water. 



I thoroughly enjoyed the nine days we spent at this 

 place. Our host and hostess took an interest in my 

 pursuit ; one of the best chambers in the house was 

 given up to me, and the young men took me long rambles 

 in the neighbouring forests. I saw very little hard work 

 going forward. Everyone rose with the dawn, and went 

 down to the river to bathe ; then came the never-failing 

 cup of rich and strong coffee, after which all proceeded 

 to their avocations. At this time, nothing was being 

 done at the plantations ; the cacao and tobacco crops 

 were not ripe ; weeding time was over, and the only work 

 on foot was the preparation of a little farinha by the 

 women. The men dawdled about ; went shooting and 

 fishing, or did trifling jobs about the house. The only 

 laborious work done during the year in these establish- 

 ments is the felling of timber for new clearings ; this 

 happens at the beginning of the dry season, namely, 

 from July to September. Whatever employment the 

 people were engaged in, they did not intermit it during 

 the hot hours of the day. Those who went into the woods 

 took their dinners with them — a small bag of farinha, and 

 a slice of salt fish. About sunset all returned to the 

 house ; they then had their frugal suppers, and towards 

 8 o'clock, after coming to ask a blessing of the patriarchal 

 head of the household, went ofl to their hammocks to 

 sleep. 



There was another visitor besides ourselves, a negro, 

 whom Joao Trinidade introduced to me as his oldest 

 and dearest friend, who had saved his life during the 

 revolt of 1835. I have, unfortunately, forgotten his 

 name ; he was a freeman, and had a sitio of his own, 

 situated about a day's journey from this. There was 

 the same manly bearing about him that I had noticed 

 with pleasure in many other free negroes ; but his quiet, 

 earnest manner, and the thoughtful and benevolent ex- 



