582 ARTS AND CRAFTS OF GUIANA INDIANS [ETH, ANN. 38 
island [Porto Rico] was in rebellion and the forests around the 
fortress of Caparra rang with the whoops and yells of the savages 
[Arawak], the blasts of their war conchs, and the stormy rolling of 
their drums (WI, 785). About the same period, with A. de Ojeda at 
the Gulf of Darien, a number of them [Indians] advanced toward the 
fort, sounding their conchs and drums (WI, 654) ; and with Nicuesa 
at Cartagena, the Indians are described as well armed and with 
menacing aspect, sounding their shells (WI, 676). In more recent 
times, St. Clair speaks of the number of wild people [Arawak on the 
Essequibo] daily increasing, and their horrid blasts of war reechoing 
through the woods (StC, n, 6). 
759. On the other hand, the call to arms may be noiseless, the emis- 
saries silently announcing the fact that the tribe is at war without 
even saying a word, for it suffices to leave in passing a barbed arrow 
in a public place for all to take up arms. This notice is called the 
mission of the arrow (correr la flecha) and is tantamount to a decla- 
ration of a state of war (G,1, 134). This throwing of the arrow may 
thus apparently serve the twofold purpose of a call to arms and a 
declaration of war. Martius recorded a similar procedure among the 
Carib, Yuri, Miranya, and others (Beitrdge, 1, 97). The practice 
is also observed with the Guariua of the Yapura at the present day 
(KG, m, 316). When the Surinam Carib wished to declare war, a 
few macaw feathers were sometimes dispatched ahead, but as a rule 
action of this nature was considered superfluous (PEN, 1, 67). Or, 
again, as with the Makusi, war may be waged without any pre- 
liminary declaration of hostilities whatsoever, the assailants making - 
every endeavor to approach their enemy’s settlement as close as 
possible by night, so as to attack it at break of day (SR, 1, 321). 
760. The evidence would appear to be variable as to whether or 
not a chief commander was particularly and specially appointed to 
take entire charge and control of the operations. In the islands the 
Carib specially appointed such a person (RO, 518). When these 
Indians [Surinam] went to war they chose one general commander, 
whom they distinguished by the title of uill (St, 1, 402), but, accord- 
ing to another source this was the term applied to people of somewhat 
less responsible authority, the captains (PEN, 1, 50). Inspired by 
the “ Tiger ” Spirit and preceded by the Spirit of Enchantment [the 
Snake] the warriors [Surinam Carib] followed the commands of the 
piaiman, and set out to meet the enemy (PEN, 1, 67). On the 
Pomeroon Brett speaks of the Indians making a war chief as leader 
in the coming fray (BrB, 36). “ But during war,” says Gumilla, on 
the Orinoco, “although they recognized their chief and captains 
there was no military discipline or subordination of any kind, and 
in consequence war was with them no more than a disorderly out- 
