270 ARTS AND CRAFTS OF GUIANA INDIANS [ETH, ANN. 38 
the roofs were neatly thatched with leaves of the coconut or the 
mountain cabbage (Pnk, 1, 505). The lu palm, another species of 
Oenocarpus, can be split and used like the kokerit. Paripi palm 
leaves are to be seen on Akawai houses (App, 1, 113). 
On the upper Demerara there is a kind of cutting grass utilized 
for thatch. It is about 4 feet long, known to the Arawak as wé, 
and just placed in position by bending over the lath, like agave 
leaves, on side walls (sec. 302). Among remaining thatch plants 
there is the Martinezia caryotaefolia and Acrocomia sclerocarpa 
(SR, m1, 236). 
325. Like the paintings on the rocks, those in the houses on the 
main posts (SR, 1, 471), and on the walls, all require further study 
and elucidation, somewhat on the lines that have been followed with 
those met with in the upper Rio Negro region (KG, 11, 240-243). 
Here the Indians show a high esthetic sense in the manner in which 
they decorate the walls, inside and outside (pl. 65 B), as well as the 
main posts, with variously colored designs and carvings. So also 
Crévaux speaks of seeing allegorical pictures painted on wood in 
white, yellow, and red clays moistened with water at the Roucou- 
yenne village of Macouipy, on the upper Yary, Cayenne, and gives 
an illustration (Cr, 108). He also makes mention of such pictures 
on wood in an Apalai village on the Parou River (Cr, 302). Among 
the Makusi of the Rupununi Schomburgk states that the figures seen 
on the women’s apron belts were identical with what he saw exe- 
cuted, both with white clay, red or black colors, on the hut walls, 
on the paddles, corials, and weapons, either with the fingers or a 
bit of wood. “It is peculiar,” he continues, “that only the women 
do this painting. . . . When a man finishes some instrument or 
weapon he hands it over to the woman, who, without any copy, 
exercises her innate art upon it” (SR, 1, 359). 
326. With regard to furniture there is little that is purely decora- 
tive, most of it being utilitarian. Among the Carib in Guadeloupe 
were found a vast number of human bones and skulls hung up about 
the houses, like vessels intended for holding various things (DAC, 
438). The nations of the Orinoco had the custom of suspending 
from the roof various plaited figures (sec. 766), representing the 
number of enemies whom the house master had killed (G, m, 91). 
On the branches of the upper Rio Negro various human, animal, and 
bird figures (pl. 64, figs. 2,3), plaited from palm leaves or manufac- 
tured from corncobs, are hung from the rafters, etc., some of the lat- 
ter objects being utilized as targets by the youngsters (XG, 11, 244). 
Indians, as a rule, have a curious habit of hanging up or sticking 
against the rafters of their houses the bones or skulls of various 
small animals which they have killed and eaten (BB, 161)—e. g., 
