The Life-history of an Indian. . ^ 



By the Editor. \ .A^vw'^ 



IS father and mother were Acawois Indians who 

 lived over a hundred miles up the Demerara 

 river. Their little village stood on a sandy 

 elevation near the source of one of the small creeks 

 which go to make up the best-known but not the largest 

 river of British Guiana. Like most Indian settlements 

 it contained but few houses, three benabs or oblong 

 sheds with open sides serving to shelter the whole com- 

 munity. It went by the name of "ROBERT'S place" 

 among the few negroes and half-breeds who lived on the 

 banks of the river, but the Indians themselves had never 

 cared to distinguish it in any way. ROBERT was the 

 oldest man in the community — the patriarch — but he had 

 no particular authority nor did it appear that he was 

 ever favoured in any way beyond the others. His real 

 name was Ousaree (the deer), but this was sacred, and 

 not known to any but his immediate relations. 



On either side and aback of the settlement stretched 

 that interminable forest which almost covers the northern 

 part of South America, and from its dense shades the 

 little warawah (boy) was brought by his mother early 

 one morning She had retired from the benab a few 

 hours before, leaving her husband asleep in his hammock, 

 and gone a short distance down the creek. Here, the 

 lump of clay-coloured humanity, destined to be a skilful 

 hunter and fisherman, was born. What were the feel- 

 ings of the mother, whether sad in her loneliness or 



