490 TROPICAL WILD LIFE IN BRITISH GUIANA 



sympathies between man and wife than exist with lovers. 

 The wife sees her husband rub the beena upon her bead apron 

 and as a matter of course, her love is retained. She is not 

 annoyed, but takes it as a matter of course. 



A marriage without offspring is never complete. This 

 is accepted by all primitive people and is conspicuous among 

 the Indians. Here we get the woman's special beenas, which 

 she keeps in her own domain, the cassava field. The most 

 striking is perhaps a species of Cahithea which has many off- 

 shoots from the base of the stem, something like those of 

 arrowroot ; they suggest the idea of offspring, and are cooked 

 and eaten by the woman. If this beena fails she may resort 

 to the bush and get the pretty birds'-nest fungus. 



The boy and girl lovers carry on a kind of courtship 

 where the father of the girl demands proofs of the boy's pro- 

 ficiency in manly accomplishments. Perhaps the old man 

 is not entirely pleased with the proposed match, and will put 

 obstacles in the waJ^ Then the youth must get a favor beena 

 and steep it in crab oil, with scent. This is rubbed over his 

 hair and skin before he presents himself to his future father- 

 in-law. A tiny piece of the beena must also be placed be- 

 tween the lips. The sheepish lover before entering the benab 

 spits out the beena and rubs it into the ground with his foot, 

 this is supposed to insure a favorable answer to his suit, and 

 possibly does so because the old man believes also in the 

 charm. This is not acrid like the caladiums, and therefore 

 can be chewed. 



Presuming that he is allowed to go on with his courtship 

 he gets the laugh bush and gives some to the girl. Both are 

 pleased with each other and want to be happy in company. 

 That they are so must surely be credited to the beena and 

 their belief in it. 



And so we might go with the man as hunter and fish- 

 erman. Every game beast, bird and fish has its own charms, 

 either general or particular, and each inspires hope and 

 confidence because the man has faith in them. He does not 



