FIRST JOURNEY. 



15 



families, which, all probably perished through grief and 

 want, after their support was gone. 



About an hour above the rock of Saba stands tha 

 habitation of an Indian, called Simon, on 

 the top of a hill. The side next the river is 

 almost perpendicular, and you may easily throw a stone 

 over to the opposite bank. Here there was an oppor- 

 tunity of seeing man in his rudest state. The Indians 

 who frequented this habitation, though living in the 

 midst of woods, bore evident marks of attention to 

 their persons. Their hair was neatly collected, and tied 

 up in a knot ; their bodies fancifully painted red, and 

 the paint was scented with hayawa. This gave them a 

 gay and animated appearance. Some of them had on 

 necklaces, composed of the teeth of wild boars slain in 

 the chase ; many wore rings, and others had an orna- 

 ment on the left arm, midway betwixt the shoulder and 

 the elbow. At the close of day, they regularly bathed 

 in the river below ; and the next morning seemed busy 

 in renewing the faded colours of their faces. 



One day there came into the hut a form which 

 literally might be called the wild man of the woods. 

 On entering, he laid down a ball of wax which he had 

 collected in the forest. His hammock was all ragged 

 and torn ; and his bow, though of good wood, was 

 without any ornament or polish, — " erubuit domino, 

 cultior esse suo." His face was meagre, his looks for- 

 bidding, and his whole appearance neglected. His long 

 black hair hung from his head in matted confusion ; 

 nor had his body, to all appearance, ever been painted. 

 They gave him some cassava bread and boiled fish, 

 which he ate voraciously, and soon after left the hut. 

 As he went out, you could observe no traces in his 



