588 ARTS AND CRAFTS OF GUIANA INDIANS [BTH, ANN. 38 
the statement—it is given here for what it is worth—that the 
Essequibo Indians will walk a whole day on tiptoe to deceive those 
whom they intend to attack, as by this method of putting their feet 
to the ground they leave a track resembling that of a tiger or jaguar 
(StC, m, 53). Such a practice, if indeed true, might account for the 
belief in the Kanaima “ tiger; ” i. e., a murderer in the guise of this 
quadruped. 
766. It has been said by Gumilla of the nations of the Orinoco 
that when their members reach an age old enough to go to battle, they 
aspire in all their actions to be regarded as heroes, with the pos- 
sibility of getting captaincies. For this reason they take great care 
of the trophies and spoils of war, and each one has as many figures, 
plaited with sufficient art and imitation (propiedad) out of very 
delicate palm leaves, as there are enemies whom he has killed. These 
figures are suspended from the roof (sec. 326), and after receiving 
his guests, he will say, “I am very-brave. I have been through so 
many campaigns. And just see there how many enemies I have 
already killed. I shall bea great captain,” etc. (G,1,91). Stedman 
in Surinam records that the Indians also scalp their male prisoners, 
bring home their hair, and even their bones, as trophies of war, and 
presents to their wives, unless they intend to sell them to the Euro- 
peans at Paramaribo (St, 1,401). In Cayenne the conquerors would 
hang the heads of the slain high up in the karbet or meeting 
house (PBA, 171). 
767. As to the fate of the prisoners taken in war these were either 
killed outright, scalped, eaten, or enslaved. Frederici has expressed 
his views on the occurrence of scalping as follows: “ Concerning — 
Guiana we have the trustworthy statement of Stedman that scalp- 
ing was practiced by the Carib. . . . The question arises as to 
how the occurrence of scalping in the Guianas is to be explained. It 
was not introduced by the Negroes for, with the exception of its oc- 
currence in the nineteenth century in Dahomey, it was not known 
on the dark continent. The custom was highly developed among 
the Timucua peoples in Florida, yet the theory that it may thence 
have been transmitted to Guiana finds no substantial support. In 
a similar way there is no evidence that it was introduced by the 
whites. On the other hand, it does not seem improbable that it was 
brought in through the slave trade; that is, through enslaved In- 
dians brought to Guiana from North America. Indian slaves from 
New England, Carolina, Georgia, and Florida were far dispersed 
by the whites, and a portion of them were brought to the mouth of 
the Orinoco and the shore of South America for pearl fishing. It is 
quite possible that some individuals or parties from among these 
Indians, most of whom belonged to scalping tribes, gained their 
