ROTH] THE SPIRITS OF THE SKY. 259 



little pebbles inside fRoP, 461). Schomburgk points out the curious 

 fact that the Taruma word for a moon eclipse is piwa-toto, the Uteral 

 translation of which is 'Moon-Earth' (ScR, ii, 469). 



303. Any reference to comets in the Indian literatuie is extremely 

 scarce. With regard to the one that was seen by Schomburgk in the 

 early forties, the Arckunas and Makusis regarded it as a sign of 

 pestilence, famine, and disaster. One night they all emerged from 

 their huts . . . men, women, and children extended their arms expres- 

 sive of supplication and beseeched it to leave the heavens, so that 

 they should not come to grief under its influence . . . the Makusis 

 called it Ca-po-eseima, " Fire-Cloud," or Wae-inopsa, "Sun that throws 

 its rays behind"; the Arekunas gave it the name of Wa-taima, and 

 the Wapisianas Capische, both terms signifying "Spirit of the Stars" 

 (ScR, II, 3()S). The Pomeroon Arawaks spetik of the present year's 

 (1910), Ilalley's, comet, simply as Wiwa-kihi-koro (lit. "Star-tail- 

 with"), but have no information to furnish concerning it. Among 

 the Island Caribs, Limacani is a comet sent by Coualina, the " boss" of 

 the Chemeens [i. e., Famihar Spirits] to cause oyW when he is vexed 

 (BBR,-_>.31). 



303A. In the Makusi legend of Murapa-yeng (lit. Bat Mountain, 

 one of the Pakaraima Range) the phenomenon is ascribed to an old 

 woman cariying a fire-stick under somewhat pathetic circumstances: 

 Schomburgk tells the story. 



The Legend of Bat Mountain 



A long, lorv'jr while ago, an imm-ns-:- Bat lived on Ih" mountain .and spread fear and 

 terror among the Maknsis. As soon as tlie Sun had sunk in the west, the huge rreature 

 left its unknown dwelling, swept down ujwn the Itappy homes, and, s^vift as an arrow, 

 pounced upon and carried off anyone whom it found out of doors: it carried the indi- 

 vidual in its powerful claws up to its unknown nest and there devoured him. Fear 

 reigned of an evening throughout the settlements and in the huts, and lamentation 

 filled the air of a morning when often two. sometimes three, persons would 1)0 missing; 

 not a nisiht passed without an aliduction. the trilie daily numbered less, and its entire 

 annihilation seemed at luind. The medicine-man exorci.sed the Spirit; it returned 

 again: the men went to di.scover the residence of the cursed murderer, but they did 

 not find it — Makunaima was not with them. To prevent the total destruction of her 

 tribe an old woman arose and declared herself ready to sacrifice herself for the good 

 of her nation, ^^^len night fell, she stationed h?rself, with a covered fire-stick, in 

 the middle of the village while the remainder of the people crouched in terror within 

 their houses. The fluttering of the wings is heard, and the heroine, seized in the 

 creature's frightful claws, is carried aloft to the charnel house. She now uncovers 

 the lire-.stick, -nhirli like the Sun tluowing it.s rays backward (the Comet), shows by 

 the streak of light thus produced the direction that the people must follow to find 

 the mortuarj' house of their brethren. The high flames of fire from the burning nest 

 upon this ver^' mountain showed the folk next morning where to go : they succeeded in 

 killing the creature. History does not say whether the old woman lost her life in this 

 heroic deed; but even now immense heaps of bleached bon'^s are to be found there. 

 (ScR, n, 189.) 



