Indian Provision Fields. 
91 
area. In this swarm the Trochilus mellicorus Linn., T. cainpylopterus 
Linn., T. moschatus Linn., T. furcatus Linn., the tiny pretty pygmacus 
iSpix., T. Mango Linn., and T. petasophorus Pr. Max. were particularly 
noticeable. Diminutive and beautiful as these birds are, the different 
species are nevertheless equally as quarrelsome amongst themselves. Du 
dissection I found plenty of small insects in their crops. 
313. And still the enchanting early morning life had not yet reached 
its close. I soon recognised in the distance the squalling notes that were 
gradually approaching — thousands of shrieking parrots were flying over 
the environs of the village to some place or otner that they knew of with 
plenty of food: the Psittacus aestivus Linn, opened the ball, while the 
pretty little Psittacus nuchalis and P. inelanoce phalus Linn, were already 
settled on the trees of the provision fields. 
311. 1 did not stay any longer in my hammock: with a good jump 1 
was out of my swing-bed, and quickly seizing a weapon the next few 
minutes found me already strolling around the outskirts of the settle- 
ment. The virgin forest joined close on to the provision grounds. The 
small beaten path that I followed soon led me to a second cleared space, 
the cassava field of the residents: this might have enclosed about three 
acres and consisted of a most flourishing growth of Manihot utilissima 
Pokl., which, although planted irregularly and without order, readied 
in general a height of <i to 8 feet. Here and there the Dioscorea bulbi- 
fera Linn., D. sativa Linn., as well as Convolvulus Batatas Linn. a,nd 
Pine-apple crept into, and hemmed in this forest of Manihot which 
amongst all Indians takes the place of our cereals. The root, a tuberous 
growth, contains when fresh a pungent juice containing Prussic acid 
which nevertheless, after grating and pounding, is separated under strong 
pressure. The Indians also cultivate the Dioscorea and Convolvulus 
Batatas on account of their abundant starchy contents. 
315. Although the attention paid to such fields is not exactly 
of the best, their growth had collectively reached a perfection that sur- 
prised me. Sugar-cane and maize were in plenty, and the Pine-apple, 
taken on the whole, especially here vindicated its name of ‘‘Queen of 
Tropical Fruits.” We were subsequently brought some that weighed from 
ten to twelve pounds and were as remarkable for their juiciness as for 
their fragrance. 
31G. The soil consisted of a fatty clay mixed with ochre, rotted tim- 
ber and ashes, because on laying out a field the trees are every time fell- 
ed and burnt. The largest giants that the fire cannot destroy remain 
lying where they are felled and become disintegrated in time. Rambling 
through such a field is therefore far from being a pleasant promenade, 
because one must be climbing continually over one tree trunk after 
another if one does not want to proceed in a perpetually serpentine 
course. 
317. The roots of the Manihot reach complete maturity only after 
ten or twelve months, on which account one finds in every provision field 
a complete arrangement of series varying from the full-grown plants to 
the suckers, that have just been put in. As soon as the full-grown plants 
have been pulled out and the tubers removed, the stalks are cut into 
“sticks” two or three feet long, three or four of which are again planted 
in a hole. This done, any further care is left to Nature, except that they 
