44 AMAZONIA AND LA PLATA. 



name of " vvood-slviiis." These are frail canoes made from the bark of copaifera 

 puhliflora or of hijinœnea coiiybdril, like the birch-bark canoes of the Huron 

 Indians. 



So eai-ly as 1739, the Moravian missionaries had already founded stations 

 amongst the Bush populations, but they have had little success except with the 

 Moesinga communities. From a vague reminiscence of the teachings received 

 during the period of slavery on the plantations, the negroes have retained a sort 

 of belief in a Supreme Being, creator of man, monkeys, and manioc, on the whole 

 a beneficent deity, whose wife was called Maria, and whose son bore the name of 

 Ji'fit Kisti. But apart from this shred of Christianity, most of the Bushmen have 

 preserved their nature worship, and, in fact, " they believe what their mothers 

 believed." But the fervour even of this primitive cult seems to be on the wane 

 in most of their villages, and the fetishes and gadns or effigies of tutelar animals 

 have generally disappeared from the neighbourhood of the white settlements. 



At present the chief object of negro worship is the ceiba or cotton-tree, that 

 noblest forest growth of the "West Indies, which rises in solitary grandeur in the 

 vicinity of the settlements, its wide-spreading branches aiïording shelter to the 

 community like some beneficent deity. Traces may often be seen of offerings, 

 such as fowls, yams, libations of drink, scattered round its stem, the object being 

 to propitiate the spirit dwelling in its branches, who is of a beneficent disposition, 

 unlike his demon brother of the poison tree Hiari, who also finds some votaries 

 inspired rather by fear than gratitude. 



No idols properly so called are worshipped, but the negroes of the m.ore 

 inland districts cover themselves with oheeahs or amulets of shells, bones, or 

 feathers; such charms are even hung round the necks of their dogs to improve 

 their scent in the chase. A curious trait is the custom of bringing back and 

 burying with all honours the hair of those who may happen to die at a distance 

 from their homes. 



These communities dwell in peace unruffled by the wranglings of rival chiefs 

 contending for the supreme power. Enjoying an equal share of comfort, the 

 Bush Negroes also enjoy absolutely equal rights. Nevertheless every village has 

 its nominal headman nearly always chosen from the same family, and distinguished 

 amongst his fellow-citizens, not by any personal authority, but by the privilege 

 of parading on feast days in a military uniform and flourishing a gold-headed 

 cane in public. 



But the chiefs in a pre-eminent sense, those of the Aucan community, bear the 

 distinctive title of Grammaii, from the English " Grand Man." The Aucan chief 

 is allowed a respectful precedence by his Sararaaccan and Moesinga colleagues, 

 and is, in fact, recognised as the overlord of all the Surinam Bush Negroes, though 

 in rank and title rather than in power. His pedigree goes back to the first 

 Aucan chief, Pamo, but in the female line, the matriarchal traditions having been 

 preserved from times anterior to the period of slavery. The Gramman is even 

 recognised by the Dutch Government, which, however, has taken tKe precaution 

 to provide him with a European Resident under the title of Pofif/ioiicfcr. This 



