ror] BIRTH AND CHILDREN 697 
908. There is the authority of Gumilla that the practice of making 
themselves barren by taking herbs and drinks existed among the 
women of the Orinoco tribes (G, mm, 294, 318), a statement which 
would seem to have been subsequently confirmed by Von Humboldt, 
who mentions this custom of preventing pregnancy by the use of 
deleterious herbs as among the causes tending to depopulate the 
Christian settlements on the river in question (AVH, un, 248). 
Schomburgk makes similar remarks of the Makusi women when he 
says that we must almost accept as true that the females in-many 
cases seek, by artificial means, to prevent pregnancy (SR, um, 312). 
My own opinion, however, is that these statements are based rather 
on hearsay than on fact. : 
909. The practice of keeping infants at the breast to a compara- 
tively advanced age is universal. The Warrau mother will suckle 
her offspring up to 3 and 4 years of age. Sometimes she will have 
one at each breast (SR, 1, 166). Both among the Arekuna and 
Makusi the child is also given the breast up to the third or fourth 
year, and if a new baby appears the previous one will be handed over 
to the grandmother, who carries out the mother’s duties with it. This 
has been observed among the oldest of Indian women. It is also the 
old lady’s business to bring up the young mammals found by the 
father or son. When Schomburgk expressed surprise at these oc- 
currences, he was informed that the women practice a means whereby 
the milk is retained to extreme old age (SR, 11,239,315). In his ac- 
count of the Surinam Indians Fermin says that the mothers never 
swathe their children nor lull them to sleep. Indeed, the very oppo- 
site, he declares, takes place, for while they are occupied with the 
household duties they place them quite naked on the ground, where 
the little creatures drag and roll themselves at their will in the sand 
(FE, 81). 
910. This, however, would not appear to be always the case, because 
not only do the Carib and Akawai, like the Kobéua (Betoya stock) 
and Siusi (Arawak stock), employ special hanging chairs (sec. 913) 
for them, but Carib and Arawak parents certainly do sing their in- 
fants to sleep. Lullaby songs are sung both by the (Arawak) father 
and mother. Among the former are: 
Badongka méima obéra Sleep! mammy comes. 
tiltandoni bibida mai-ani until she comes, stop, don’t ery. 
tanokebe fati (she) comes just now. 
mama tanokebe fati mammy comes just now. 
and 
Mai-ani abo Don’t ery now. 
bosali béfedo bishibo go wipe face. 
au-su bo-yu ibichiro and go mother to her. 
60160°—24——45 
