292 
TRAVELS ON THE RIO NEGRO. 
{June, 
quantity of peppers, in which they dip their bread. At 
several places where we stopped this was offered to our 
men, who ate with a relish the intensely burning mess. 
Yams and sweet potatoes are also abundant, and with 
pacovas form a large item in their stock of eatables. 
Then they have the delicious drinks made from the fruits 
of the assai, baccaba, and patawa palms, as well as several 
other fruits. 
The large saiibas and white ants are an occasional 
luxury, and when nothing else is to be had in the wet 
season they eat large earth-worms, which, when the 
lands in which they live are flooded, ascend trees, and 
take up their abode in the hollow leaves of a species of 
Tillandsia, where they are often found accumulated by 
thousands. Nor is it only hunger that makes them eat 
these worms, for they sometimes boil them with their 
fish to give it an extra relish. 
They consume great quantities of mandiocca in making S 
caxiri for their festas, which are continually taking place. 
As I had not seen a regular dance, Senhor L. asked | 
the Tushaua to make some caxiri and invite his friends 1^’ 
r 
and vassals to dance, for the white stranger to see. He 
readily consented, and, as we were to leave in two or 
three days, immediately sent round a messenger to the 
houses of the Indians near, to make known the day and 
request the honour of their company. As the notice 
was so short, it was only those in the immediate neigh- 
bourhood who could be summoned. Ip 
On the appointed day numerous preparations were^it 
taking place. The young girls came repeatedly to fill| * 
their pitchers at the river early in the morning, to com- 
