Up the Cuyuni in 1837. 321 



the house was lavished on us, and it was not until my 

 crew had imbibed at least a gallon a head that I could 

 get them away, scarcely able to breathe trom repletion. 

 These dances are an undoubted symptom ol reversion to 

 barbarity. But, it is a substantial proof, even at this date, 

 of the merits of the Missionaries, that they are spoken of 

 universally with feelings of the most affe6tionate respedt 

 and regret, whilst their persecutors are held in the 

 utmost abhorrence, and every possible epithet of detesta- 

 tion is ctjupled with the name of Spaniard, in comparison 

 with whom his Satanic Majesty is held as a Saint, as an 

 Indian very gravely told me : — *' We never knew hunger 

 under the Padres, for though we worked for them our 

 children's mouths were ever filled with bread and beef." 

 Indeed, though I found this country comparatively a land 

 of plenty, there is no doubt that animal food is of very 

 precarious supply and that the flocks of cattle in the 

 savannahs, which were regularly killed and served out as 

 rations, made the life of an Indian of the Missions one 

 without care or privation. They endeavour in some 

 measure to supply the loss of beef by raising common 

 fowls, which were plentiful in every settlement at about 

 eighteen pence a couple. 



At 10^ to I our course was S. W., when we halted on 

 the N, shore to fish and hunt, being out of meat, but 

 without success, the dancers having swept the bush of 

 game for miles round, for their feast. 



igth day. Started at 6^, course S. by W. — at ']\ 

 S. by E. — at 5 m. to 9, W. by S. — at 10 m, to 10, after \ an 

 hour's halt, W. \ S.— 5 m. to 11 S. W.— 11^ W. by S. 

 At 12 reached the mouth of the Coora-Coora Creek, the 

 settlement of the Accaway Provincio, and pitched the 



SS2 



