248 



CARIC MISSIONS — ROBBERS. 



Number of 



Caribs. 



Indinn 

 pri^iii'lices. 



IVuit- trees. 



the Llanos of Piritoo and tlie banks of the Caroni and 

 Cuyuni at more than 35,000, and the total amount of 

 the pure race at 40,000. 



The missionary led the travellers into several huts, 

 where they found the greatest order and cleanliness, but 

 were shocked by the torments that the women inflicted 

 on tlicir infants, for the purpose of raising the flesh in 

 alternate bands from the ankle to the top of the thigh, 

 — a practice which the monks had in vain attempted to 

 abolish. This effect was produced by narrow ligatures, 

 which seemed to obstruct the circulation of the blood, 

 although it did not weaken the action of the muscles. 

 The foreliead, however, was not flattened, but left in its 

 natural form. 



On leaving the mission the philosophers had some 

 difficulty in settling with their Indian muleteers, who 

 had discovered among the baggage the skeletons brought 

 from the cavern of Ataruijje, and were persuaded that 

 the animals which carried such a load would perish on 

 the journey. The Rio Cari was crossed in a boat, and 

 the Rio de Agua Clara by fording. The same objects 

 every where recurred ; huts constructed of reeds and 

 roofed with skins ; mounted men guarding the herds ; 

 cattle, horses, and mules, running half wild. No sheep 

 or goats were seen, these animals being unable to escape 

 from the jaguars. 



On the 15th they arrived at the Villa del Pao, Avhere 

 they found some fruit-trees as well as cocoa-palms, 

 which properly belong to the coast. As they advanced 

 the sky became clearer, the soil more dusty, and the 

 atmosplierc more fiery. The intense heat, liowever, was 

 not entirely owing to the temperature of the air, but 

 arose jxirtly from the fine sand mingled with it. On 

 the night of the IGth they rested at the Indian village 

 of Santa Cruz de Cachipo. The warmth had increased 

 so jnuch that they would have preferred travelling by 

 night ; but the country was infested by roltbers, who 

 .nurdercd the whites that fell into their hands. These 

 were malefactors who had escaped from the prisons on 



