DISPOSAL OF THE DEAD. 487 



throws light upon their origin. In the hot part of Ghiiana 

 we can go back only to the period when the Castilian and 

 Portuguese conquer m 's, and more recently peaceful monks, 

 penetrated amid so many barbarous nations. 



It appears, that, to the north of the Cataracts, in the 

 strait oi Baraguan, there are caverns filled with bonea, 

 similar to those I have just described: but I was informed 

 of this fact only after my return; our Indian pilots did not 

 mention it when we landed at the strait. These tombs no 

 doubt have given rise to a fable of the Ottomacs, according 

 to which the granitic and solitary rocks of Baraguan, the 

 forms of which are very singular, are regarded as the ' grand- 

 fathers,' the ' ancient chiefs' of the tribe. The custom of 

 separating the flesh from the bones, very anciently practised 

 by the Massagetes, is still known among several hordes of 

 the Orinoco. It is even asserted, and with some probability, 

 that the Guaraons plunge their dead bodies under water 

 enveloped in nets; and, that the small caribe-fishes, of which 

 we saw everywhere an innumerable quantity, devour in a 

 few days the muscular flesh, and thus prepare the skeleton. 

 It may be supposed, that this operation can be practised 

 only in places where crocodiles are not common. Some 

 tribes, for instance the Tamanacs, are accustomed to lay 

 waste the fields of a deceased rektive, and cut down the 

 trees which he has planted. The % say, " that the sight of 

 objects, which belonged to their relation, makes them melan- 

 choly." They like better to efface than to preserve remem- 

 brances. These effects of Indian sensibility are very detri- 

 mental to agriculture, and the monks oppose with energy 

 these superstitious practices, to which the natives converted 

 to Christianity still adhere in the missions. 



The tombs of the Indians of the Orinoco have not been 

 very closely examined, because they do not contain valuable 

 articles like those of Peru ; and even on the spot no faith is 

 now lent to the chimerical ideas, which were heretofore 

 formed of the wealth of the ancient inhabitants of El Dorado. 

 The thirst of gold everywhere precedes the desire of instruc- 

 tion, and a taste for researches into antiquity; in all the 

 mountainous part of South America, from Merida and Santa 

 Marta to the table-lands of Quito and Upper Peru, the 

 labours of absolute miuii^ have been undertaken to discover 



