54 IN THE GUIANA FOREST. 



little, leaving the impression to be made by ex- 

 ample rather than by precept. 



Few children are to be seen at the Indian 

 settlements, and therefore the boy has hardly any 

 companions. The girls are women in everything 

 but age and size, and follow their mothers ; they 

 take no part in the boys' games nor have they 

 apparently any of their own. Naturally they learn 

 the duties of the women as their brothers do those 

 of the men. Like their parents, even the boys and 

 girls take life seriously, and there is nothing like 

 the romping so common among the children of 

 more civilised races. Nevertheless " boys will be 

 boys " ven among the Guiana Indians, and have 

 a few games. Most of these are more or less 

 connected with their future duties, such as 

 shooting and hunting. Among them is one 

 which can be played by four or more, and is 

 a life-like imitation of a labba hunt. One boy 

 represents the labba, a second the dog, and the 

 third and fourth two huntsmen, one of which 

 takes up his station in a little canoe on the 

 creek, while the other takes the so-called dog 

 and enters the forest. The " labba " is given a 

 little time to hide, and then the hunt begins, the 

 " dog " barking and the huntsman calling to the 

 other in the canoe as the quarry doubles in and 



