160 



WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 



More than once, after sitting down npon 

 a rotten stump, I have found myself covered 

 with Ticks. There is a short and easy way to get quit 

 of these unwelcome adherents. Make a large fire and 

 stand close to it, and if you be covered with ticks, they 

 will all fall off. 



Let us now forget for awhile the quadrupeds, ser- 

 pents, and insects, and take a transitory view of the 

 native Indians of these forests. 



Principal There are five principal nations or tribes 

 tribes 1 of in- °^ Indians in ci-devant Dutch Guiana, com- 

 dians. monly known by the name of Warow, Aro- 



wack, Acoway, Carib, and Macoushi. They live in small 

 hamlets, which consist of a few huts, never exceeding 

 twelve in number. These huts are always in the forest, 

 near a river or some creek. They are open on all 

 sides, (except those of the Macoushi,) and covered 

 with a species of palm leaf. 



Their principal furniture is the hammock. It serves 

 Their ham- thera both for chair and bed. It is com- 

 mocks. monly made of cotton ; though those of the 

 Warows are formed from the seta-tree. At night they 

 always make a fire close to it. The heat keeps them 

 warm, and the smoke drives away the mosquitos and 

 sand- flies. You sometimes find a table in the hut ; but 

 it was not made by the Indians, but by some negro, or 

 mulatto carpenter. 



They cut down about an acre or two of 



Occupations. 



the trees which surround the huts, and there 

 plant pepper, papaws, sweet and bitter cassava, plan- 

 tains, sweet potatoes, yams, pine-apples, and silk-grass. 

 Besides these, they generally have a few acres in some 

 fertile part of the forest for their cassava, which is as 



