after wlkch they put it in a #rds,. to feparafe tkie jiulce
from the meal. This prefs is a kind of long take», made
of marimba or reeds; which, being hung to a tree, and;
filled with ground caflava, a heavy ftone or log of wood is
fixed to the bottom, the weight of which gradually lengthens
the tube, which is comprefled in proportion) and* the
liquid fubftance is fqueezed through the plated reeds. This
done, the meal; is baked on a hot ftone in thin round c^keS)
until it becomes brown and crifp, and then it is. a whole*
feme food,; that will keep good, for half a year; yet I muft
acknowledge that the tafte, which by that procefs becomes
1-weetifh, is at the fame time extremely infipid. The
extradited water of this root, if not carefully prevented
by the flaves, is forhetimes drunk by cattle and poultry
on the eftates, whom it inftantly kills with eonyulfive
tortures and fweHing; yet this very liquid, if boiled with
pepper, butcher’s meat, &c. is frequently made , uje of;
for foup. None fhould ufe. the caflaya root for, food
but fuch as are perfectly acquainted with i t : many peo*
pie having been poifoned, to my knowledge, by ufing
the one- fpecies for the other; the diftindtion between
the two confifting chiefly in a tough ligneous fibre or
cord running through the heart of the fweet or innocent
caflava root, which the fatal or hitter has not. The acajou
nuts are alfo ufed by the Indians; and they often bring
them to Paramaribo, where they are called inginotto.
The kernels of thefe nuts are in fize and fhape very like
lambs
E X P E D I T I O N T O SURI NAM.
lambs kidneys, and are exceedingly delicate. They grow
high trees* which having never
feen, I cannotdefcribe.
The Other-food of the Indian con lifts of lea and land
turtle, and crabs, called feerveca, which laft axe feen
in great quantities in the mud: all. along the coaft of
Guiana-^at low water-. Of thefe they** are extremely fond,
as alfo of th e rivers lobfters called :$?rq/ara9 which are
here in great abundance.- But nothing, pleafes them fo
much- as the 4guana or voa/amacca Xvzzxf^ that I have
already defcpibedt every thing they eat is fo highly
feafoned with Cayenne pepper, that the mere tailing
of their food excoriates th e . mouth of an i'Europeah,
They-h-fedittle -or ho fait, but barbacue their game and
fifh in the fmoke, which equally-preferves it. from putrefaction*;
.and if an Indian has negledfced to :prbvide food
b y hunting or filhing, his hunger is aflwag^di by eating
the<£m&$ Qt£\±egreen^beart or the eta tree, or of fimilar
productions of the .foreft.
Their drink eekllfts- -of various fluids, fuch as the
Juice of the woumoo fru ity The loowtijQdt 'ireepas-: one
of thefmalleft of the palm kind. -flte,' feed grows da
hunches, of purple blue berries, refemhlihg grapes, rfhe
pulp of which thinly -adheres to a round- hard; ftone,
about the fize-of atpiftol bdllet. Thefe.berries are;djf*
folved and macerated in boiling water ; which beverage*
when mixed with fugarand cinnamon^iis frequently ufed
by the fair-inhabitants;; it jsaftes* Veiry much‘like chort
: 3, collate»
391