298 NOTES OF A BOTANIST 
seen a few plants in the sitios, but it is across the frontier that it 
is cultivated and used in the greatest quantity. The Barre 
Indians of Venezuela drink it in immense quantities, especially 
the first thing in a morning, in place of coffee, and they use only 
the fresh berry, grated, without sugar. Their name for it is 
cupana. . . . 
To Mr, George Bentham 
Sao Gabriel, Rio Negro, Aug. i8, 1852. 
Since last writing to you I have been able to 
add scarcely anything to my collections. My 
hunter some three months ago was taken seriously 
ill, and perhaps he will never be able to bear any 
exertion more. With my Indian disabled came 
the festa of Sao Gabriel, commencing on the eve 
of the Ascension and lasting above a month. Dur- 
ing this time no one would either hunt or fish ; 
fishing, indeed, was scarcely possible with rod and 
line, from the rising of the waters. Never was I 
so near dying of hunger. I was reduced to take 
the gun on my shoulder and go out early in the 
morning into the caapoeras in quest of parrots and 
japus. Unless the rain came on very furious I 
always succeeded in procuring my dinner, but I 
once passed three days solely on xibe (farinha 
mixed with water), which the Indians drink, and 
sometimes take no other food for several days ; 
but to a person unused to it, it causes great flatu- 
lency and does not allay hunger. When the 
streams began to swell, the larger kinds of game 
retired deep into the forest, and it was necessary 
to go by water to some distance, pass the night 
in the forest, and with the dawn of morning pro- 
ceed on the chase. But it is almost useless a 
person hunting here who has not been used from 
