no necessity for reaping soon, as the roots do not
become bitter and dry until after three years. When a woman takes up the
roots, she thrusts a piece or two of the upper stalks into the hole
she has made, draws back the soil, and a new crop is thereby begun. The
plant grows to a height of six feet, and every part of it is useful: the
leaves may be cooked as a vegetable. The roots are from three to four
inches in diameter, and from twelve to eighteen inches long.

There are two varieties of the manioc or cassava--one sweet and
wholesome, the other bitter and containing poison, but much more
speedy in its growth than the former. This last property causes its
perpetuation. When we reached the village of Kapende, on the banks of
the rivulet Lonaje, we were presented with so much of the poisonous kind
that we were obliged to leave it. To get rid of the poison, the people
place it four days in a pool of water. It then becomes partially
decomposed, and is taken out, stripped of its skin, and exposed to the
sun. When dried, it is easily pounded into a fine white meal, closely
resembling starch, which has either a little of the peculiar taste
arising from decomposition, or no more flavor than starch. When intended
to be used as food, this meal is stirred into boiling water: they put
in as much as can be moistened, one man holding the vessel and the other
stirring the porridge with all his might. This is the common mess of the
country. Though hungry, we could just manage to swallow it with the aid
of a little honey, which I shared with my men as long as it lasted. It
is very unsavory (Scottice: wersh); and no matter how much one may eat,
two hours afterward he is as hungry as ever. When less meal is employed,
the mess is exactly like a basin of starch in the hands of a laundress;
and if the starch were made from diseased potatoes, some idea might be
formed of the Balonda porridge, which hunger alone forced us to
eat. Santuru forbade his nobles to eat it, as it caused coughing and
expectoration.

Our chief guide, Intemese, sent orders to all the villages around our
route that Shinte's friends must have abundance of provisions. Our
progress was impeded by the time requisite for communicating the chief's
desire and consequent preparation of meal. We received far more food
from Shinte's people than from himself. Kapende, for instance, presented
two large baskets of meal, three of manioc roots steeped and dried in
the sun and ready