Evening star., 1901-09-21
LIFE IN THE TROPICS.
Food and Drinks Of the Natives Of
South America.

From the Venezuelan Herald.
The marvellous natural prepared food Of
the American tropics had received but little
attention until the expedition OF Humboldt
to the Orinoco, whose account was, at first.
SO wondrous and startling as to cause in
credulity. There Is first bread-'the staff
Of life." 1t is found in many Of the starchy
substances Of the palm and sago, but more
especially in the bread fruit tree, where It
Is gathered just as the mama was found
in Egypt. Next to this important food pro-
duct come the tubers, which are found
plentifully In a wild state. such as cassava,
yucca and wild yam. These grow all over
the tropics and seem adapted to wide d.
versity Of soil and climate. The same is
true as to corn, and no product Of all the
vegetable kingdom affords so good an op-
portunity Of studying the laws Of acclimati-
zadon, while it's capacity to accommodate
Itself to the different conditions of temper
ature seems almost unlimited. The cassava
Is generally made into farina, a coarse but
very nutritious -four. by grinding between
stones. There are numerous plants at the
equator which produce milky emulsions.
but none so wonderful and nutritious as
the famous palo de vaca. or cow tree. BY
making an incfsion into its trunk 1t exudes
an abundance of glutinous, thick white
milk, which Is most agreeable to the taste
and forms an important aliment OF the ma
tives.
Long before the outside world had dis
covered caseum as the basis Of cheese the
Indians were drinking this milk and eating
the cheese from its coaguiated juice An
excellent vegetable butter Is obtained from
the papaya tree and answers every purpose
Of that which we obtain from cows milk.
The lard of the OrinOco savage Is largely
obtained from a cavern bird called the qua
charo, and Is so pure that 1t will keep for
many months without becoming rancid. 1t
Is entirely free from any dfsagreeable smell
and really forms an excellent substitute.
The famous yuruma bread is the principal
food of the Amazon tribes at certain sea-
sons, and it is obtained from the sago tree.
One single tree will often produce 500 or
600 pounds Of meal. The manioc Of the
llaneros of Venezuela Is simply fish dried.
powdered and reduced to paste. This fish
bread is similar to that described by Pliny.
which was prepared by the people along
the Presian gulf and the Red sea- To these
various natural food products can be added
the innumerable farinaceous fruits, oily
nuts, roots, herbs and barks which are not
only palatable but nutritious and healthy.
Even a variety Of ants, known as vacharos.
are preserved and eaten by the tribes about
the delta Of the Orinoco. The abdomen Of
this ant is a lump of white fat, and, though
having a strong acrid taste, is very
healthy aliment.
uncivilized brother has a most extended
line, which are as diversified as the wines.
brandies. whiskies and beers of more en-
ltghtened lands. The mescaf and pulQue Of
Mexico are Well-known products of the
agave; the tiste and mishla Of Nicaragua
are made from the juices of plants as well
as bananas and cassava; the highly intoxf-
eating cocuya Of New Grenada Is obtained
from the fque plant. the same which pro-
duces the fine fiber for coffee bags; the
gurapo and niche, universally used by the
poems Of Venezuela, like rum. is largely OBJ
tanned from the fermented juice of sugar
1,{1I1 90 kIn~ l.
from the candela tree, as well as from
indian corn, while papelon and other sweet
drinks are from crude brown sugar. Many
of these decoctions have the elements OF
den the brain. sometimes making demons Of
their devotees.
Besides the food products and beverages.
nature Is bountiful to her wild children In
necessaries. She furnishes ready-woven
garments from la vida and marina, wax
and glue from the guaco, as well as the
pollen OF flowers and varnish Of leaves; silk
from the macoa and ramie, Illuminating
candles from the candela, arrow poison
from the cuspa and piquine, cups and sau-
GERS from the calabash. oils from the CO.
cOanut, blowpipes and musical instruments
the sassafras and laurel, perfumes from the
incienso and sarapia, and medicines from a
hundred herbs and trees. In his rude at
tempt at art the Indian finds his colors in
1NStic, ihQlSo ana SSVeFdi varieties OF clay,
over which he smears coat of varnish OBJ
tained from the anato and other resinous
plants.
The curfos brought from the Orinoco and
Amazon, in the way of quantity carved
calabashes and cocoanut shell, are painted
and vanished in this way, being found
very durable and lasting. The red pigment
Is obtained from chica leaves macerated in
water the yellow tfnts are from the juices
of the paruna as well as anato. and dark
brown colors from the caruta, which Is also
used in tattooing. The lasting qualities Of
some Of these cOlors when covered with
protecting varnish ba!sam Is demon
strated by the painted mummified remains
of tribes which have been extinct for CEN
turies. In fact, the savage has been the
pioneer in discovering important and nutri-
tive substances In a wide family of the
vegetable world, where nature has deposited
them in the sap, bark. roots and fruit
The writer has spent part of several
years In travelling among the unciviiized
tribes OF Central and South America COM
PEELED at times to subsist for weeks upon
their native foods taken from the trees and
plants OF their surrounding forests and can
voueh for their nutritious properties and
general healthfulness. In fact. the traveller
In these unfrequented countries can do no
better than to follow the example of these
natives, not only In their foods, but their
beverages and native remedies In case of
sickness.
The Fussy Turkish Custom House.
From the London Telegraph.
The custom house at Constantinopfe Is a
most wonderful place for creating difficult
ties and surprises. A lady the other day
was sending to Switzerland large doll,
dressed most carefully In Turkish costume