THE MAN OF THE FOREST. 43 



jaguar, the howling monkey, or the tapir. He 

 does not interfere with the constitution of things 

 does not clear great tracts of land builds no cities 

 erects no monuments nor does he leave many 

 more traces of his presence than the other inhabi- 

 tants of the forest. His settlements have been 

 scattered over the length and breadth of the land 

 for ages, but except for a few trails, hardly more 

 distinct than the runs of large animals, there are 

 few signs of his presence. From one point of view 

 he may be considered as having attained perfec- 

 tion. The balance of life has been kept up, and, 

 apart from outside influences, he does not exter- 

 minate a single animal. Nowhere perhaps is the 

 fauna of such an ancient type, so well protected, 

 and so perfectly fitted to its environment, and 

 nowhere can we study man as an animal so well as 

 in the Guiana forest. 



Whether it is a good thing for the Indian that 

 he has accommodated himself so perfectly to his 

 surroundings is doubtful. Apart from outside 

 influences he would go on for ages, making little 

 progress, and hardly increasing in numbers. The 

 land could never be densely populated, as the 

 number of inhabitants depends on the amount 

 of food, and this again depends on the number 

 of huntsmen. The man of the woods keeps no 



