Across Nhambiquara Land 225 



subdued shrill cry. The women continually uttered a 

 kind of long-drawn wailing or droning ; I am not enough 

 of a musician to say whether it was an overtone or the 

 sustaining of the burden of the ballad. The young boy 

 sang better than any of the others. It was a strange and 

 interesting sight to see these utterly wild, friendly savages 

 circling in their slow dance, and chanting their imme- 

 morial melodies, in the brilliant tropical moonlight, with 

 the river rushing by in the background, through the lonely 

 heart of the wilderness. 



The Indians stayed with us, feasting, dancing, and 

 singing until the early hours of the morning. They then 

 suddenly and silently disappeared in the darkness, and 

 did not return. In the morning we discovered that they 

 had gone off with one of Colonel Rondon's dogs. Prob- 

 ably the temptation had proved irresistible to one of their 

 number, and the others had been afraid to interfere, and 

 also afraid to stay in or return to our neighborhood. We 

 had not time to go after them ; but Rondon remarked that 

 as soon as he again came to the neighborhood he would 

 iakt some soldiers, himt up the Indians, and reclaim the 

 dog. It has been his mixture of firmness, good nature, 

 and good judgment that has enabled him to control these 

 bold, warlike savages, and even to reduce the warfare be- 

 tween them and the Parecis. In spite of their good nature 

 and laughter, their fearlessness and familiarity showed 

 how necessary it was not to let them get the upper hand. 

 They are always required to leave all their arms a mile or 

 two away before they come into the encampment. They 

 are much wilder and more savage, and at a much lower 

 cultural level, than the Parecis 



