ror] MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS 453 
heard not a female, old or young, was to be seen, for it is one of the 
strangest superstitions of the Uaupes Indians that they consider it 
so dangerous for a woman ever to see one of these instruments that 
having done so she is punished with death, generally by poison. 
Even should the view be perfectly accidental, or should there be 
only a suspicion that the proscribed articles have been seen, no 
mercy is shown; and it is said that fathers have been the execu- 
tioners of their own daughters and husbands of their wives when 
such has been the case (ARW, 241-242). The trumpet illustrated in 
plate 161 C was collected some fifty-odd years ago by Spruce (RS, 1, 
416) and is now in the Kew Museum. It is 46 inches long and 9 
inches at the middle. [The two white cords have only been attached 
to steady it while the picture was taken. The photo was obtained 
for me by the director, Sir D. Prain, who also kindly forwarded the 
following copy of the descriptive note which accompanies the exhibit : 
“ Jurupari,” or Devil—Musical instrument used among the Indians 
on Rio Uaupes (a tributary of the Rio Negro), South America, at 
their feasts. They are objects of great veneration among the Indians, 
and are never permitted to be seen by women. So stringent is this 
law that any woman obtaining a sight of one is put to death, usually 
by poison. No youths are allowed to use them until they have been 
subjected to a series of initiatory fastings and scourgings. The instru- 
ments are kept hidden in the bed of some stream deep in the forest, at 
which no one dares to drink or bathe. At feasts they are brought 
out at nights and blown outside the house of entertainment. The 
interior consists of portions of the paxiuba palm (Socratea durissi- 
ma H. Wendl.), which, when about to be used, has the upper end 
nearly closed with clay and a piece of uaruma leaf (one of the arrow- 
root family) tied on above the square hole so as to form a monster 
flageolet. These tubes are wrapped round with long strips of the 
tough bark of the iebaru (Hperua grandiflora Bth.), which descends 
in folds below the tube, thus forming a sort of trumpet to be blown 
into at the upper end.] The most recent mention of these bark 
trumpets from the same localities as Wallace, e. g., Rio Tiquié, is by 
Koch-Griinberg, who figures them (pl. 161 A) on identical lines with 
Gumilla, save that the two sticks do not project beyond the mouth of 
the instrument. This author also confirms their connection with the 
Jurupari festival, and the care with which they are removed from the 
sight of the women and children (KG, 1, 314, ete.). Large bark 
trumpets made of bark spirally may be seen in Wapishana, Taruma, 
Waiwai, and Parikuta settlements. They are manufactured outside 
of the village, but the women are not forbidden to see them (JO). 
559. Wooden tubes were also originally described by Gumilla from 
the Orinoco. He speaks of certain “ flutes” (flautas) used at wed- 
