BOTH] THE BODY AND ITS ASSOCIATED SPIEITS 151 



wind to blow so strongly that it caused the opposite shore to come close over to the 

 tree where the monkey was, so close that the trees on both sides of the stream 

 touched; by this means the mother and her child jumped across, and once across, the 

 opposite shore with its bushes drew back to their original position. As the separation 

 took place, the monkey cal led out to the ma 'i, " You must swim after us if you want us! ' ' 

 and the little boy, who was really fond of his father, shouted, " Good-bye — I am going! " 

 But the mother would say nothing further. The man was thus left on the nearer 

 shore, and got home again much \'exed. He destroyed everj-thing that had belonged 

 to the woman: he cut up her hammock, broke her calabash, and smashed her goblets. 

 \\liat a liad temper he must have had! • 



G'JB. Another (>xample is to be met in the story which I am adajit- 

 iiig here from Brett (BrB, 177). 



The Sorcerer's Daughter 



The daughter of a piai fell in love with a brave young hunter, who did not seem- 

 ingly pay her any too much attention. She begged her father to make her like one 

 of the joung man's dogs so that she might always be with him. He put a magic 

 skin over her shoulders and she became a dog. Thus it came about that each time 

 the youth went out hunting with his four dogs, one always ran back home and would 

 never join in the fray; more thai\ this, he found that whenever he got home in the 

 afternoon, there was the fire burning, the cassava ready, and all neat and clean. He 

 thought this was due to some of his neighbors, and went to thank them, but they 

 denied all knowledge. On the next occasion, therefore, as soon as he missed one of 

 his dogs, he tied the three up to a tree, and returned home without making the slightest 

 sound. Taking an advantageous position, he saw a lovely maiden there making 

 cassava, and doing other things, while at one side there hung the charmed skin. 

 He swiftly rushed in, .<<pized the skin, and threw it on the already lighted fire. He 

 then claimed the girl from her father for liis wife. 



65. It was owing to a myth relative to the foimtain of perennial 

 youth that Florida came to be discovered just four centuries ago. 

 Some old Island Indians, presumably of the Arawak stock, assured 

 Ponce de Leon that — 



Far to the north there existed a land abounding in gold and in all manner of delights; 

 but above all, possessing a river of such wonderful wtue that whoever bathed in it 

 would be restored to youth! They added, that in times past, before the arrival of 

 the Spaniards, a large party of the natives of (Xiba had departed northward in search 

 of this happy land and this River of Life, and, having never returned, it was con- 

 cluded that they were flourishing in renovated youth, detained by the pleasure of 

 that enchanting countrj'. [WI, 788.] 



66. Another interesting example of the existence of this idea of 

 immortality is connected with the Arawak stock in Porto Eico : 



Many of the most hardy and daring (of the Indians^ proposed a general insurrec- 

 tion, and a massacre of their oppressors; the great mass, however, were deterred by 

 the belief that the Spaniards were Supernatural Beings and could not be killed. A 

 shrewd and sceptical cacique, named Brayoan, determined to put their immortitlity 

 to the test. Hearing that a yoimg Spaniard named Salzedo was passing through 

 his lands, he sent a party of his subjects to escort him, giving them secret instnictions 

 how they were to act. On coming to a river, they took Salzedo on their shoulders to 

 carry him across, but, when in the midst of the stream, they let him falL and throwing 

 themselves upon him, pressed him under water until he was drowned. Tlien drag- 

 ging his body to the shore, and still doubting his being dead, they wept and howled 



