14 
THE AMAZON AND MADEIRA RIVERS. 
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Only a feAV of thi; indeiiencleut tiibcs liave fixed abodes. Most of 
them pidl down oi* bxirn theii- light sheds, whenever they think fit, and 
then wander forth, often for many miles, — the wives carrying all the 
household implements, the stores, and even the spare arrows of their 
husbands, — in quest of better hunting-grounds, to gather the ripe, wild 
fruit, or to visit their omi plantations of Indian corn and mandioc, which 
this unsteady, wandering life does not hinder them from growing. 
These two plants, which certainly had been cultivated for ages before 
tbc discovery of America, still number with the most important pro- 
ductions of Brazil, both for Indians and Europeans. The corn (inilho), 
grown especially in the South as fodder for horses and mules, yields a 
coarse flour (fiiba), which, cooked to a thick pap — a sort of polenta — is, 
together with black beans, the chief dish of the working population of 
the provinces of Minas Geraes and Eio de Janeiro. 
Of the Mandioc root, which flourishes tliroughout the country from 
North to South, there are two kinds — the Aipim (Manihot aijn), much 
like potatoes when boiled, and the Mandioca brava [3Ia)iihof uilUssima), of 
which, after extracting the very poisonous juice,* the farina is prepared, 
— a coarse-grained meal Avhich, without any further preparation, takes 
the place of oui- bread on the tables of Brazilians, both high and low. 
Wlicat and rye are only grown in the German colonies of the South, and 
not in sufficient quantities for the demand of the towns, which are chieflj^ 
supplied from North America and Eirnope. Eice, of several excellent 
qualities, is largely cultivated, particularly in Maranhao. It is, together 
Avith black beans (feijao) and sun-dried meat (came seca), a daily dish 
with almost all classes of the population. 
All these articles arc rather high-priced, as their culture is not so 
lucrative as that of the exported articles, coffee, sugar, and cotton ; and it 
is, therefore, neglected on the large estates. 
Coffee can be grown almost cvex’yAvhere, though, in the hottest 
districts of the North, it must be planted in the shade of larger trees, to 
get a good crop ; and in Eio Grande and Parana it thrives but poorly, 
and is grOAvn only for domestic use. The provinces that export most are 
Sao Paulo, Eio de Janeiro, and the Eastern part of Minas Geraes. 
lhat is, wliea it just suited Ms convenience. On closer investigation we found out this 
was Relieved to be his name, from his regulai-ly answering “Chama,” to the question, 
“ Como se chama ? ” (What are you caUed ?) 
* The fine starchy sediment of this juice is tho tapioca. 
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