222 DIFFICULTY OF CONTEESATIOF. 



interpreter. Every mission has at least two interpreters 

 (lenguarazes). They are Indians, a little less stupid than the 

 rest, through whose medium the missionaries of the Orinoco, 

 who now very rarely give themselves the trouble of studying 

 the idioms of the country, communicate with the neophytes. 

 These interpreters attended us in all our herborizations ; 

 but they rather understand than speak Castilian. With 

 their indolent indifference, they answer us by chance, but 

 always with an officious smile, "Yes, Father; no, Father," 

 to every question addressed to them. 



The vexation that arises from such a style of conversation 

 continued for months may easily be conceived, when you 

 wish to be enlightened upon objects in which you take the 

 most lively interest. We were often forced to employ several 

 interpreters at a time, and several successive translators, in 

 order to communicate with the natives.* 



" After leaving my Mission," said the good monk of 

 Uruana, " you will travel like mutes." This prediction was 

 nearly accomplished; and, not to lose the advantage we 

 might derive from intercourse even with the rudest Indians, 

 we sometimes preferred the language of signs. When a 

 a native perceives that you will not employ an interpreter ; 

 when you interrogate him directly, showing him the objects ; 

 he rouses himself from his habitual apathy, and manifests an 

 extraordinary capacity to make himself comprehended. He 

 varies his signs, pronounces his words slowly, and repeats 

 them without being desired. The consequence conferred 

 upon him, in suffering yourself to be instructed by him, 

 natters his self-love. This facility in making himself com- 

 prehended is particularly remarkable in the independent 

 Indian. It cannot be doubted that direct intercourse with 

 the natives is more instructive and more certain than the 

 communication by interpreters, provided the questions be 



* To form a just idea of the perplexity of these communications by 

 interpreters, we may recollect that, in the expedition of Lewis and 

 Clarke to the river Columbia, in order to converse with the Chopunnish 

 Indians, Captain Lewis addressed one of his men in English ; that man 

 translated the question into French to Chaboneau ; Chaboneau translated 

 it to his Indian wife in Minnetaree ; the woman translated it into 

 Shoshonee to a prisoner ; and the prisoner translated it into Chopunnish. 

 It may be feared that the sense of the question was a little altered bj 

 these successive translations. 



