630 ARTS AND CRAFTS OF GUIANA INDIANS [ETH. ANN. 38 
person visited. Stretched in his hammock while his host is seated 
near, the leading man of the visiting party commences his harangue, 
which is always very lengthy. He commences with a lot of pre- ~ 
liminaries which sometimes have nothing whatever to do with what 
he is going to say. He is spokesman for the whole tribe. He lays 
bare the object of their visit—a long-winded discourse of which the 
pronunciation is quite different from that of their ordinary lan- 
guage. They speak with extraordinary rapidity and great volu- 
bility. They employ various conjunctions not used in everyday con- 
versation. They affect a twang and keep the last syllables so long 
sustained that one might almost say they were talking in a language 
foreign to their own—our French people call this manner of speak- 
ing karbéter. Now comes the turn of the chief visited, who replies 
after the same style. He enunciates with all seriousness and in a 
shrill voice (d’un ton ferme) after the style of a man reciting. 
Often they do not care to listen to one another. There are some who 
will speak for half an hour at a time without stopping a moment. 
During all this the person ostensibly addressed amuses himself as 
he pleases, and will even talk in a low voice with those close around 
without in any way giving offence. to the person haranguing, know- 
ing full well that he will do exactly the same when his turn comes 
to make a speech. The ludicrous part of the business is that if the 
stranger happens to belong to a different linguistic stock each will 
“karbete ” in his own language for hours at a stretch, the one not 
understanding a word of the other. “For my own part,’ writes 
Barrére, “ I believe that they do this to make themselves conspicuous 
and so inspire respect from the younger men” (PBA, 189-190). 
Coudreau reports similar procedures among the Taruma—the 
peculiarities of speech, intonation, intermediate phrases simultane- 
ously vociferated by both parties, and the introduction of subject 
matter apparently totally foreign to the business at issue. Indeed, 
he suggests its explanation as the survival of an old-time custom—an 
encounter between two savage warriors (Cou, 11, 353). Among the 
Wapishana, Schomburgk mentions that when their chief had finished 
his address of welcome the oldest men then commenced theirs (SR, 
i, 384). In the present-day Parikuta welcoming speech the host 
will introduce something about hoping that his visitor has not 
brought any evil spirits with him (JO). 
814. Once the salutation ceremony is over the visitors are well 
looked after and food supplied them, both for their stay and their 
return journey. [In Surinam] no pay is given for this, but if there 
should be a woman among the guests the preparation of the cassava is 
left to her. When visitors stay a few days at a village they occupy 
themselves with hunting and fishing, and now and then will make 
