Capuchin Missions of the Caroni. 275 



head and body with hot lime-juice ; and, lighting a good fire 

 close to his hammock, refuses all sustenance but lemonade, 

 until actual debility puts an end to his misery. The doctor and 

 myself were persuaded that more died from starvation, than 

 the mere effects of the malady. In fact, in many instances, 

 the whole family was so debilitated, that not one could go to 

 the conuco for provisions ; and the people in office paid them 

 no attention, delivering out rations to those only who were 

 in public employ. 



Cupapuy contains, exclusive of the residence and offices, 

 forty-four buildings, subdivided into 122 dwellings. Some 

 were altogether deserted ; most contained from four to 

 fourteen sick. Many had fled to their conucos to avoid con- 

 tagion. We observed a custom, when any one died, for the 

 whole family to evacuate the dwelling for a given time ; the 

 office of burial is generally abandoned to the females. The 

 frequency of deaths precludes all attention to religious rites. — 

 Accompanied the mayor-domo to the tobacco-ground. A space 

 of about 20 acres of the cassava grounds had been cleared, and 

 80,000 plants put into it. The planting took place so late, and 

 the rains had been so scanty, that the produce was but small. 

 The spot is a league from the village, and has been furnished 

 with a large shed, where, to our infinite horror, we found a 

 poor fellow in his hammock, who had died that morning. His 

 companions were hard by, eating their breakfasts with little 

 concern. Cupapuy has the advantage of a short distance, of 

 two leagues only, to Upata, and of the vicinity of the hills, 

 where are the provision grounds of the Indians. The capuchins 

 seem to have made a point of selecting a healthy spot for the 

 village, with little care about the distance of the provision 

 grounds, on which the Indians were never suffered to remain 

 for any length of time. This was, perhaps, the only way of 

 breaking them of their nomadic habits, and making their 

 labour so profitable, as it must have been, to their pastors. This 

 village formerly possessed 3,000 head of cattle ; the number is 

 now reduced to 300, which must soon be exhausted. Leaving 

 Landa some pilU, and recommending the use of bark, we re- 



