PARARUMA—EGGS—INDIANS. 929 
ther ; but they procured a boat from one of the mis- 
sionaries who had come to the egg-harvest. 
This assemblage or encampment afforded to the 
travellers an interesting subject of study. ‘“ How 
difficult,’ says Humboldt, “ to recognise in this in- 
fancy of society, this collection of dull, taciturn, and 
unimpassioned Indians, the original character of 
our species! Human nature is not seen here ar- 
rayed in that gentle simplicity of which poets in 
every language have drawn such enchanting pic- 
tures. The savage of the Orinoco appeared to us 
as hideous as the savage of the Mississippi, described 
by the philosophical traveller who best knew how 
to paint man in the various regions of the globe. 
One would fain persuade himself that these natives 
of the soil, crouched near the fire, or seated on large 
shells of turtles, their bodies covered with earth and 
grease, and their eyes stupidly fixed for whole hours 
on the drink which they are preparing, far from 
being the original type of our species, are a degene- 
rated race, the feeble remains of nations which, 
aiter being long scattered in the forests, have been 
again immersed in barbarism.” 
Red paint is the ordinary decoration of these 
tribes. The most common kind is obtained from 
the seeds of the Bixa orellana, and is called anotto, 
achote, or roucou. Another much more expensive 
species is extracted from the leavesof Bignonia chica. 
Both these are red ; but a black ingredient is obtained 
from the Genipa Americana, and is called caruto. 
These pigments are mixed with turtle-oil or grease, 
and are variously applied according to national or 
individual taste. The Caribs and Otomacs colour 
only the head and hair, while the Salivas smear 
