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cursion, which they had made to the east beyond 

 the Rio Padamo, to gather juvias, or the fruit 

 of the bertholletia, and the liana which yields 

 the curare. Their return was celebrated by a 

 festival, which is called in the mission la fiesta 

 de las juviaS) and which resembles our harvest 

 homes and vintage feasts. The women had pre- 

 pared a quantity of fermented liquor, and during 

 two days the Indians were in a state of intoxica- 

 tion. Among nations that attach great impor- 

 tance to the fruits of the palm-trees, and of some 

 others useful for the nourishment of man, the 

 period when these fruits are gathered is marked 

 by public rejoicings, and time is divided accord- 

 ing to these festivals, which succeed one another 

 in a course invariably the same. We were for- 

 tunate enough to find an old Indian less drunk 

 than the rest, who was employed in preparing 

 the curare poison from freshly-gathered plants. 

 He was the chemist of the place. We found at 

 his dwelling large earthen pots for boiling the 

 vegetable juice, shallower vessels to favour the 

 evaporation by a larger surface, and leaves of 

 the plaintain tree rolled up in the shape of our 

 filters, and used to filtrate the liquids, more or 

 less loaded with fibrous matter. The greatest 

 order and neatness prevailed in this hut, which 

 was transformed into a chemical laboratory. 

 The Indian, who was to instruct us, is known 

 throughout the mission by the name of the master 



