448 FESTIVITIES OF THE SA.TA.GES. 



accompanied the Indian to the festival of the juvias. The 

 harvest of jwviaSj or fruits of the Bertholletia excelsa,* was 

 celebrated by dancing, and by excesses of wild intoxica- 

 tion. The hut where the natives were assembled, displayed 

 during several days a very singular aspect. There was neither 

 table nor bench; but large roasted monkeys, blackened 

 by smoke, were ranged in regular order against the wall. 

 These were the marimondes (Ateles belzebuth), and those 

 bearded monkeys called capuchins, which must not be con- 

 founded with the weeper, or sai (Simia capucina of Buffon). 

 The manner of roasting these anthropomorphous animals 

 contributes to render their appearance extremely disagree- 

 able in the eyes of civilized man. A little grating or lattice 

 of very hard wood is formed, and raised one foot from the 

 ground. The monkey is skinned, and bent into a sitting 

 posture ; the head generally resting on the arms, which are 

 meagre and long ; but sometimes these are crossed behind 

 the back. When it is tied on the grating, a very clear fire 

 is kindled below. The monkey, enveloped in smoke and 

 name, is broiled and blackened at the same time. On seeing 

 the natives devour the arm or leg of a roasted monkey, it is 

 difficult not to believe that this habit of eating animals so 

 closely resembling man in their physical organization, has, 

 to a certain degree, contributed to diminish the horror of 

 cannibalism among these people. Boasted monkeys, par- 

 ticularly those which have very round heads, display a 

 hideous resemblance to a child ; and consequently Europeans 

 who are obliged to feed on them prefer separating the head 

 and the hands, and serve up only the rest of the animal at 

 their tables. The flesh of monkeys is so lean and dry, that 

 M. Bonpland has preserved in his collections at Paris an 

 arm and hand, which had been broiled over the fire at 

 Esmeralda; and no smell has arisen from them after the 

 lapse of a great number of years. 



We saw the Indians dance. The monotony of their dancing 

 is increased by the women not daring to take part in it. 

 The men, young and old, form a circle, holding each others' 

 hands ; and turn sometimes to the right, sometimes to the 

 left, for whole hours, with silent gravity. Most frequently 



* The Brawl- nut. 



