1851.] 
A STATE CIGAR. 
299 
dred men, women, and children ; a continual murmuring 
conversation was kept up, and fifty little fifes and flutes 
were constantly playing, each on its own account, pro- 
ducing a not very harmonious medley. After dark a 
large fire was lighted in the middle of the house, and as 
it blazed up brightly at intervals, illuminating the painted 
and feather- dressed dancers and the numerous strange 
groups in every variety of posture scattered about the 
great house, I longed for a skilful painter to do justice 
to a scene so novel, picturesque, and interesting, 
A number of fires were also made outside the house, 
and the young men and boys amused themselves by 
jumping over them when flaming furiously, an operation 
which, with their naked bodies, appeared somewhat 
hazardous. Having been now looking on about three 
hours, we went to bid adieu to the Tushaua, previous to 
retiring to our house, as I did not feel much inclined to 
stay with them all night. We found him with a few 
visitors, smoking, which on these occasions is performed 
in a very ceremonious manner. The cigar is eight or ten 
inches long and an inch in diameter, made of tobacco 
pounded and dried, and enclosed in a cylinder made of 
a large leaf spirally twisted. It is placed in a cigar- 
holder about two feet long, like a great two-pronged 
fork. The bottom is pointed, so that when not in use it 
can be stuck in the ground. This cigar was offered to 
us, and Senhor L. took a few whiffs for us both, as he is 
a confirmed smoker. The caxiri was exceedingly good ^ 
(although the mandiocca-cake of which it is made is 
chewed by a parcel of old women), and I much pleased 
the lady of the Tushaua by emptying the calabash she 
) 
