THE MAQUIRITARES' LAM) 17:; 



maps its course has been marked east of Duida, while in 

 reality it is on the western side. Its tributaries from the 

 east are the Tabari, Sina, Cua, and Rio Negro; and from 

 the west the Yacare and Cumichi. There are numerous 

 rapids. Besides the two mentioned, the Indians named 

 the San Ramon, Rayao, Chacherito, Yaquiro, Mapaeo, 

 Chipirima, Picure, and Culebra, all of which must be passed 

 before reaching Maravaca. 



When rocks and low water barred a farther ascent we 

 made camp on the high bank and began the arduous work 

 of cutting a trail to Duida, about six miles distant. We 

 had secured the services of a number of Maquiritares; two 

 men, two women, and a boy, and these, together with the 

 members of our crew, were immediately put to work on 

 the trail. While this was in progress we devoted ourselves 

 to the exploration of the forest and its inhabitants. 



Apparently the Indians, who in common with many 

 South American tribes seek the smaller streams for their 

 habitations, and who live in small groups all along the 

 Cunucunuma, rarely visited this locality. Game was so 

 abundant and so tame that it was impossible that the ani- 

 mals had been persecuted to any considerable extent. We 

 also visited the house of the chief of the tribe, named An- 

 tonio Yaracuma, whose ciinuco (clearing) was on the Cunu- 

 cunuma, a few miles above the mouth of the Sina (Sina is 

 a Maquiritare word meaning wolf). This place he chose to 

 call Yacare. Surrounding the great, conical house was a 

 small patch of yucas and pineapple-plants, walled in on all 

 sides by the interminable forest. The edge of the roof came 

 down to within five feet of the ground, and there were 

 eight fireplaces, equal distances apart, showing that eight 

 families occupied the dwelling. A perfect network of 

 poles and beams supported the ragged grass and palm-leaf 

 canopy, and from these various articles were suspended: 

 Drums, made of sections of hollow tree-trunks and covered 

 with the skin of a red howling monkey on one side and of a 

 peccary on the other; long tubular baskets of wickerwork 



