CASSAVA  BREAD. 
459 
prepared,  a  long  banab  is  erected,  in  the  middle  of  which  the 
boat  is  placed  with  the  intoxicating  liquor.    Each  Indian  marks 
his  body  over  with  roucou  (i.  e.  annatto)  and  lana  dyes,  and 
ornaments  head,  legs,  and  arms  with  the  blue,  red,  and  yellow 
feathers  of  the  parrot  and  macaw.    Each  is  provided  with  a 
whip  about  three  feet  long,  the  plaited  thong  of  which  is  made 
from  the  silk  grass,  ornamented  with  small  bunches  of  dried 
dyed  grass;  this  is  called  the   "  Macquarrie  whip."  When 
sufficient  numbers  have  assembled,  and  the  sun  has  sunk  behind 
the  trees,  the  dance  commences.    They  arrange  in  two  opposite 
lines,  as  for  a  country  dance.    One  commences,  and  after  a  few 
manoeuvres,  firmly  plants  one  leg  forward.    The  opposite  In- 
dian takes  quick  aim,  and  with  his  whip  lashes  the  calf  of  the 
leg,  frequently  inflicting  a  deep  cut ;  each  Indian  dances  thus 
down  the  middle,  presenting  his  leg  to  every  Indian  present  for 
the  lash.    When  excitement  and  howling  are  at  its  height,  one 
leads  off  to  the  piawarri  boat,  and  they  dance  in  single  file  round 
and  round,  the  women  filling  calabashes  with  piawarri,  and  pre- 
senting it  to  the  men.    The  dance  lasts  sometimes  for  three 
days  and  nights.     The  evil  spirit  is  supposed  to  be  driven 
away  from  the  chief's  grave.    The  Indians  return  to  their 
homes,  and  never  again  go  back  to  the  spot. 
Having  been  some  years  absent  from  the  colony,  and  hav- 
ing left  at  too  early  an  age  to  take  much  interest  in  the  pro- 
duce of  my  birthplace,  in  a  commercial  point  of  view,  I  do 
not  know  whether  cassava  bread  is  imported  commercially  in- 
to this  country;  I  am,  however,  inclined  to  suppose  it  is  not, 
from  never  having  met  with  it  at  all  in  England,  nor  heard  of 
its  exportation  from  the  British  colonies  ;  and  my  familiarity 
with  that  tropical  staff  off  life  was  only  renewed  last  week, 
when  a  box  of  it  was  brought  over  for  private  consumption  from 
my  home  in  Berbice.  The  cakes  were  closely  packed  in  a  deal 
box,  and  covered  up  in  brown  paper  ;  they  arrived,  after  three 
weeks'  voyage,  perfectly  white,  in  excellent  condition,  and  in 
every  respect  equal,  doubtless,  to  what  is  produced  every  day  in 
the  colony.  A  few  years  before  I  left  the  colony  a  few  pounds 
of  the  dried  sweet  cassava  root  were  sent  over  to  England  from 
Jamaica  to  ascertain  whether  it  would  prove  profitable,  if  great- 
er amounts  were  exported,  as  particles  of  commerce.    Some  of 
