76 A V O Y A G E T O Book I. 



fo that initead of a pleafmg tafle, it has only that of 

 the flour of maize. 



Besides the bollo * here is alfo the cafava bread, 

 very common among the Negroes, made from the 

 roots of yuca, names, and moniatos. After carefully 

 , taking off the upper ll<.in of the root, they grate it, 

 and deep it in water, in order to free it from a ftrong 

 acrid juice, which is a real poifon, particularly that of 

 the moniato. The water being feveral times fhifted, 

 that nothing of this acrimony may remain, the 

 dough is made into round cakes, about two feet 

 diameter, and about three or four lines in thicknefs. 

 Thefe cakes are baked in ovens, on plates of copper, 

 or a kind of brick made for that purpofe. Is a nou- 

 rifhing and ftrengthening food, but very infipid. It 

 will keep fo well, that at the end of two months it 

 has the fame tafte as the lirft day, except being more 

 dry. 



Wheat bread is not entirely uncommon at Car- 

 thagena but, as the flour comiCs from Spain, the 

 price of it may well be conceived to be above the 

 reach of the generality. Accordingly it is ufed only 

 by the Europeans fettled at Carthagena, and fome 

 few Creoles ; and by thefe only with their chocolate 

 and conferves. At all other meals, fo ftrong is the 

 force of a cuftom imbibed in their infancy, they pre- 

 fer bollos to wheat bread, and eat honey with cafava. 



They alfo make, of the flour of maize, feveral 

 kinds of paftry, and a variety of foods equally pala- 

 table and whoifome; bollo itfelf being never known 

 to difag-ree with thofe who ufe it. 



Besides thefe roots, the foil produces plenty of ca- 

 miotes, refembling, in tafte, Malaga potatoes *, but 

 fomething difierent in fhape, the camiotes being ge- 



* , Or cake made of mandioc yams, and fweet potatoes (or ca- 

 Hiiotes), which they grate and mix together. The bollo is far 

 from in/ipid, when a proper quantity of the camiote is put in. A. 



nerally 



