The Life-histgry of an Indian, 149 



fairly good shot, but as he had no firearm of his own, 

 he was most handy with the bow and blow-pipe. Every- 

 thing in the benab was to a certain extent common, but 

 as it necessarily followed that only one man could carry 

 the same weapon, he wanted a gun of his own. 



A few miles down the river was a wood-cutting estab- 

 lishment, where the Acawoios sometimes worked for a 

 few days or weeks, when they wanted an axe, knife, 

 gun, or what was of more importance to some of them, 

 sufficient rum for a drinking bout. There the young 

 fellow went, and by a few weeks' hard labour at 

 felling trees, procured what he wanted, and had his 

 first taste of the white man's fire water. There also he 

 met with a number of negroes, who, finding him like all 

 his tribe before they come into contafl with so-called 

 civilization, free and open with everything he possessed, 

 took advantage of this simplicity for their own benefit. 

 They would beg anything and everything, and at first he 

 gave what they asked for as a matter of course. But, 

 finding that they by no means reciprocated this gene- 

 rosity he soon grew to dislike them, and hold himself 

 aloof from their company. 



Returning to the Indian village he settled down to 

 every-day life. To-day was the same as yesterday and the 

 morrow brought a similar round of duties. He went out 

 hunting or fishing, cut down trees for a new cassava field, 

 repaired the thatch of the benab, or put in new posts 

 when the old became rotten. Now and again a new dug- 

 out canoe, and a bow or blow-pipe were required, the 

 making of the first being a most tedious operation lasting 

 two or three months. On his return from hunting he 

 threw down the ^ame and lounged in his hammock until 



