492 ARTS AND CRAFTS OF GUIANA INDIANS [ETH, ANN. 38 
Moruca River Warrau have told me that. though many years had 
passed since the last game had been played, they remembered its 
occasional application in the way of settling the many minor mis- 
understandings which would be always arising, but these were never 
of a direct personal nature. Thus, if an Indian believed that some- 
thing had been stolen from his logie, that his sister had been on 
terms of intimacy with one who had not previously obtained his 
permission, he would challenge the suspected person to combat. So 
also, when the young boys attempted to visit the girls occupying the 
special logies during their menstrual periods, or if they carved rep- 
resentations of the female genitals on the trees in the neighborhood, 
the men who might thus consider themselves insulted and belittled 
by such behavior toward their female relatives would challenge the 
parents of the alleged delinquents to such a contest. In my own 
opinion the “ game” is a relic of a salutation ceremony, as was, and 
still is, the case with certain wrestling matches in other districts 
(sec. 607). Each of the antagonists, says Brett (Br, 349), is fur- 
nished with a sort of shield made-of the light branches (leafstalks) 
of the ite (palm), cut into equal lengths and firmly lashed across a 
frame 3 or 4 feet in height, but somewhat less in width, and slightly 
bending outward . . . by means of two. cords attached be- 
hind (pl. 173 A, B). From its front and upper edge arise elas- 
tic stems, generally three in number, adorned with colored tassels 
and surmounted with streamers . . . The edges of the shield 
are firmly grasped with both hands. Each champion comes to 
the contest with two backers, the women, children, and other non- 
combatants standing round in a circle. The fight starts by one 
of the disputants in the kneeling position, but with one leg 
well aback, holding the shield upright on the ground. The other 
will then make a rush and, knocking shields, exert his ut- 
most pressure to try and roll him over, but the latter will now 
slowly rise to the standing position, both shields pressed one against 
the other. The contest is now generally one of mere strength, the 
shield being pushed forward with the whole force of the body and 
supported by one knee while the other leg is extended firmly behind. 
Thus they may remain, pressing, panting, and struggling, until ex- 
hausted, when the contest ceases by mutual consent. If, however, 
one of the combatants is able to push the other off the ground, or by 
a. dexterous slip and thrust on the flank sends him rolling on the 
sand, and in such an encounter an individual may be badly injured 
about the head and body, the fight is at once ended, but only to be 
immediately resumed by a backer from either side, these fighting on 
exactly the same lines. If necessary, these will be succeeded in their 
turn by the second backers of each party. As the contest between 
