514 



These loaves, when heated, emit an agreeable 

 smell of benzoin. When the chica is subjected 

 to distillation, it yields no sensible traces of am- 

 monia. It is not, like indigo, a substance com- 

 bined with azot. It dissolves slightly in sul- 

 phuric and muriatic acids, and even in alkalis. 

 Ground with oil, the chica furnishes a red colour, 

 that has a tint of lake. Applied on wool, it 

 might be confounded with madder red. There 

 is no doubt, that the chica, unknown in Europe 

 before our travels, may be employed usefully in 

 the arts. The nations on the Oroonoko, by 

 whom this pigment is best prepared, are the 

 Salivas, the Guipunaves *, the Caveres, and the 

 Piraoas. The processes of infusion and macera- 

 tion are in general very common among all the 

 nations on the Oroonoko. Thus the Maypures 

 carry on a trade of barter with the little loaves 

 of puruma, which is a vegetable fecula, dried in 

 the manner of indigo, and yielding a very per- 

 manent yellow colour. The chemistry of the 

 savage is reduced to the preparation of pigments, 

 that of poisons, and the dulcification of the amy- 

 laceous roots, which the aroides and the euphor- 

 biaceous plants afford. 



The greater part of the missionaries of the 

 Upper and Lower Oroonoko permit the Indians 

 of their missions to paint their skins. It is pain- 



* Or Guaypunaves j they call themselves Uipunavi. 



i 



