THE CONGO IN 1863. 
97 
Between breakfast and midday there is a mighty 
drink. The palm-wine, here called “ Msamba,” and on 
the lower river “Manjewa,” is not brought in at dawn, 
or it would be better. The endogen in general use is 
the ela'is, which is considered to supply a better and 
more delicate liquor than the rapliia. The people do 
not fell the tree like the Kru-men, but prefer the hoop 
of “ supple-jack ” affected by the natives of Fernando 
Po and Camarones. A leaf folded funnel-wise, and in- 
serted as usual in the lowest part of the frond before the 
fruit forms, conveys the juice into the calabashes, often 
three, which hang below the crown ; and the daily 
produce may be ten quarts. On the first day of tap- 
ping, the sap is too sweet ; it is best during the following 
week and, when it becomes tart, no more must be drawn 
or the tree will lie injured. It cannot be kept ; acetous 
fermentation sets in at once, and presently it coagulates 
and corrupts. At Banana and Boma it is particularly 
good ; at Porto da Lenha it is half water, but the agents 
dare not complain, for the reason which prevents them 
offering “ spliced grog ” to the prepotent negro. Euro- 
peans enjoy the taste, but dislike the smell of palm-wine ; 
those in whom it causes flatulence should avoid it, but 
where it agrees it is a pleasant stimulant, pectoral, re- 
freshing, and clearing the primes vim. Mixed with wine 
or spirits, it becomes highly intoxicating. The rude 
beers, called by Merolla Guallo and by Tuekey (p. 120) 
Baamboo, the Oualo of Douville, and the Pombe of East 
Africa, mentioned by almost every traveller, are not now 
found on the lower river. 
About noon the slaves return from handling their 
trowel-shaped iron hoes, and the “ gentleman ” takes a 
siesta proportioned to his drink. The poorer classes sit 
at home weaving, spinning, or threading beads, whilst 
the wives attend to household work, prepare the meals, 
buy and sell, dig and delve. Europeans often pity 
the sex thus “ doomed to perform the most laborious 
drudgery ; ” but it is a w r aste of sentiment. The women 
are more accustomed to labour in all senses of the word, 
and the result is that they equal their mates in strength 
VOL. II. H 
