600 ARTS AND CRAFTS OF GUIANA INDIANS [ETH, ANN. 33 
present day, e. g., the Maca (ARW, 354) or Maku—was almost in- 
variably of the nature subsisting between friend and friend rather 
than one of master and servant. A recent writer describes the Maku 
as being treated in the households of the Tiquie River, upper Rio 
Negro, rather like tame animals, the girl slaves acting as free women 
for the young men (KG, 1,269). This good treatment meted out by 
Indians to Indians was well known to the older writers. Thus, says 
Bishop Las Casas, the term “slave” does not signify the same thing 
among the Indians as among the Europeans, but only denotes a ser- 
vant with the former, or one that has some particular obligation to 
assist, as in our necessary affairs, so that to be the slave of an Indian 
is to be but one degree below his son. It is to dwell in his house, to 
take care of his goods and silver, to wait on his wife and children, 
which is consistent with the enjoyment of his liberty. He sets the 
house in order, sows the land, and does any necessary work as occa- 
sion requires. And his master on his part treats him with a great 
deal of kindness and humanity, as if he were not obliged to render 
him this service (LaC, 171). Father Acuna had previously fur- 
nished a similar account concerning the Agua or Omagua of the 
Yapura. These Agua make slaves of all the prisoners they take in 
war, and use them for all kinds of service. However, they treat 
them with so much love and kindness that they make them eat with 
themselves, and there is nothing in the world displeases them more 
than to desire them to sell them, as we found by experience on several 
occasions . . .3; in a word, they gave us signs enough to convince 
us that they had a greater esteem for their slaves than for all the 
rest of their goods and that they had rather part with all they pos- 
sessed besides than part with them (AC,120). With the Island Carib, 
when there happened to be among the female prisoners of war any 
that they liked, they made them their wives, but though the children 
born of them were free, yet were the mothers for their part still 
accounted slaves (RO, 545). The same people practiced castration on 
their boy prisoners (sec. 507). As soon as an Indian [in Cayenne] is 
captured in war he is deemed a slave, and one forthwith cuts his 
hair to make him understand that he is indeed so. In fact, hair is a 
sign of liberty, and only those who are free let it grow, and never cut 
it unless they are in mourning (PBA, 173). From the Archivos de 
Indias, quoted by Rodway (Ti, 1895, p. 8), it is evident that the 
practice of cutting prisoners’ hair as a mark of slavery was followed 
by Arawak as well as Carib. 
776. It may not be generally realized that the Carib Islanders em- 
ployed Negro slaves. “In St. Vincent and Dominica there are 
Carib who have several Negroes for slaves, obtained partly from 
the English possessions or from some Spanish ships formerly 
