THE INDIANS OF GUIANA. 61 
spoiled, and whoever puts his feet in a place where they 
have walked, gets swollen legs. 
To prevent such and other accidents, and to deliver 
them over in an undefiled state to their husbands, they 
are locked up, giving them for daily use during this 
fasting, no more than three dates of the palmist tree 
(which they call Morichi) and three ounces of cassava, 
with a jug of water, so that when the marriage day 
arrives they look more like skeletons than good-looking 
brides. 
The night previous to the marriage they pass in 
painting and greasing themselves, and tastefully decking 
themselves out with feathers of different fine colours, for 
which they take such a length of time that often the 
bride is not completely dressed before noon ; the Cacique, 
or Chief, however, of the village of the place arrives at 
break of day to give orders for the celebration of the 
feast. Immediately a troop of dancers make their ap- 
pearance from the forest, with plumes and feathers, 
accompanied with flutes and drums (made according to 
their fashion) and dance several times round the house 
of the bride, when an old woman emerges from it, with 
a dish of meat, which she hands to one of the dancers, 
who thereupon all run as fast as possible in the forest, 
and throw the meat on the ground, one of them crying 
out “Oh! dog of the devil, take this dish, and do 
not come to disturb our feast.” 
This over, the dancers decorate themselves with 
flowers, holding a bouquet in the right hand, and little 
bells in the left, accompanying the flutes, and return 
dancing to the bride’s house, where another lot of dan- 
cers is met, likewise decorated with feathers, but of 
