RORAIMA. 345 
The crowd of Indians, however, although they ex- 
pressed their approval of the first part of this communi- 
cation, showed pain and terror depicted on their faces 
when they heard its dreadful conclusion. AWACAIPU 
was quite prepared for this, and when he saw the whole 
assembly standing perplexed and irresolute, he re- 
proached them mockiugly as cowards, and tried to incite 
them to action by brandishing the war club he held in his 
hand. Then letting it fall again and again on the heads 
of those nearest to him, these one after another fell down 
into the paiwari troughs with cracked skulls, where their 
blood mingled with the liquor. Of this horrible mixture 
he now dipped a calabashful and drank himself, after- 
wards replenishing the vessel and handing it round until 
not a drop remained in the trough. After that all hesita- 
tion was gone, every fear was deadened, and there was 
left only a mob of wild devils of both sexes, young and 
old. Drunkenness and bloodshed having overcomeallideas 
of peace and friendship, old hatreds began to come up 
afresh and tribal animosities to be revived. The almighty 
Piaiman had hitherto wisely suppressed these, but now, 
by his terrible example and command, they were given 
free play. From the walls, where they had hitherto been 
peacefully hanging, the mad Indians snatched their war 
clubs, and swinging them high above their heads, brought 
them down upon each other with terrific force. Furious 
yelling, frightened cries and low death rattles, now took 
the place of the monotonous chant of “ Heia, Heia !” in 
which they had so lately, united by friendship, danced 
round the full paiwari troughs, while AWACAIPU, having 
attained his purpose, went off home and left the Council- 
house to his unfortunate vitims. The orgie of this 
