HEATH'S DISCOVERIES IN SOUTH AMERICA. IL 261 



by special messenger in order to insure its safe arrival. In the letter the Doctor 

 gives much of real interest. In his descent of the known portion of the river 

 Beni, he spent several days at Cavinas, a Catholic missionary station. This set- 

 tlement is frequently visited by wandering bands of various Indian tribes, and at 

 the time of the Doctor's visit, he met there a score of Araiina Indians who live on 

 the Madre de Dios, nineteen days journey northwest through the forest. These 

 Indians were entirely nude. Inquiring of them concerning the descent of the 

 Beni, they were horrified and answered, " How is it that you think of descending 

 the great river when we, who are men, cannot?" "How is it," asked Dr. 

 Vaca, "that you are men and we are not?" "Because we see that you have 

 but one wife, while the most worthless among us can support at least three." 



These Indians were cannibals, and the Padre at Cavinas related to the Doc- 

 tor, that on one of their visits to the mission either by indolence or lack of for- 

 tune in hunting, they were without meat and were hungry. One of the men 

 who were lying on the ground arose, seized a nursing child by the feet, and tear 

 ing it from its mother's arms and breast, with one whirl in the air brained it 

 against the ground, and with the same motion tossed the little thing upon the 

 glowing embers — when cooKed, mother and all sat by and feasted. 



Dr. Heath writes that Dr. Vaca, proprietor of several rubber camps, had 

 nine of these Indians, who consented to work for him two months. Three years 

 previous Dr. Vaca bought a boy of this tribe for an ax. The boy now under- 

 stands Spanish, and serves as interpreter. "Accepting Dr. Vaca's offer, I pre- 

 pared to go with him whilst he and Don Antenor Vasques proceeded ' to visit.' 

 This they do by sitting face to face with a bottle of liquor and frequently drink- 

 ing each other's health. At 3 P. M. I was ready — Dr. Vaca was not — we waited 

 till II o'clock, when he awoke and we embarked. He had an iron bedstead set 

 upon the seats of the boat and having left my mattress and carrying only a blanket, 

 my bed on the iron slats was not the most comfortable. Dr. Vaca and a sick 

 friend occupied the camarote (shelter of ox hide). He had a bass drum, two 

 snare drums and two flutes, playing all the time, while beneath my bed were hud- 

 dled together the. nine cannibals. At 2 A. M. we stopped to see a sick rubber 

 collector, and at 3 A. M. resumed our course down stream. This was a night 

 never to be forgotten. I have been in many strange places, but this rather ex- 

 ceeded all before." 



For the exploration of the unknown portion of the river. Dr. Vaca furnished 

 the boat and one man, and Don Antenor Vasquez the other man. His boat 

 was fifteen feet long and four feet wide, and, when loaded for the long voyage 

 of exploration, was but three fingers width out of water.. 



" Arriving at the confluence of the Beni and Mamore, the ascent of the latter 

 was very hard with but two Indians to paddle. The Mamore River is much 

 larger than the Missouri, and resembles the latter river in its yellow water, its 

 sand bars and in its drift wood. At the rapids of Palo Grande we unloaded' the 

 light things and carried them to the upper landing After several trips we started 

 with the boat in which were a few heavy articles, and after hard work with long 

 rope, we reached the whirlpool at the fall. Stepping into the water and tying a 

 rope behind, we carefully approached the foot of the fall. The sight and roar of 

 the rushing waters half crazed one of my men, and, having the leading rope, he 

 pulled with all his power. I was standing deep in the water working to keep 

 the boat near the rocky shore, and protect it from being destroyed. The 

 strength of the excited Indian who was unaccustomed to the rapids and falls of 

 the Mamore and Madeira, was too much for us, and the boat shooting forward 

 with great velocity, I gave up all hope, expecting to see it dashed in pieces against 

 the rock on which he was standing. The current carried the boat faster than the 



