196 COLLECTOR'S RAMBLES 



until he made friendly signs, that they stood their 

 ground. There were three of them, two men and a 

 boy, of the Coyara tribe ; and they were all trembling 

 from fear or excitement. 



After some persuasion, they came back to where 

 father and I were. They seemed pleasant and friendly, 

 and asked us many questions, and made motions ; but 

 we could not understand them, although they seemed 

 to have no trouble in comprehending every motion we 

 made. 



We gave them to understand that we wished to go 

 to Lapidoma, and they picked up our heavy packs and 

 started off with them, seemingly pleased to help us. 

 It was all we could do to keep up, and the perspiration 

 was running down our faces before they halted for a 

 rest. They took us directly to Lapidoma, where we 

 arrived about four o'clock. This was a strange vil- 

 lage, composed of fifteen or twenty houses, and sur- 

 rounded by banana and sugar-cane plantations, situated 

 at the base of the Astralabe Mountains. 



What interested and surprised us most, however, 

 was a number of houses in the trees ; some of them at 

 a height of sixty feet. They were well built, and rat- 

 tan or bamboo ladders extended from the ground to 

 just below the platform of the house. Father thought 

 they were used to defend themselves from their ene- 

 mies, in case of an attack ; and we afterwards found 

 that to be a correct idea. In the houses are often 



