188 



YURACARES HUNTING. 



May 20, 1852.— At 5 p. m., thermometer, Y8°; wet bulb,' 74°; 

 cloudy and calm. As we reached the foot of a hill, we met a train of 

 mules ascending with a cargo of cacao. The animals were miserably 

 poor. They had carried down salt and foreign dry-goods. One of the 

 arrieros unloaded a mule to get at a bundle of straw-hats, one of which 

 he wanted to sell t© .Richards. When they called to the train to go 

 on, it was with difficulty the animals were assisted to rise, who had laid 

 down under their loads. 



As we quietly wind our way through a flat country, the lofty tree- 

 tops are thickly habited by the . monkey tribe. One of our baggage- 

 mules became entangled in . a creeper. The animal was wound up in it. 

 It struggled with all its might, became frightened, stripped itself of the 

 baggage, and applying all its strength, down came the whole tree over 

 our heads. The branches switched the poor mule severely. It looked 

 almost 'distracted, and so much wound up that no one could under- 

 stand the ropes. The only way by which the arriero could extricate it 

 was by cutting the creepers on both sides of the mule, who looked as if 

 within the turns of a serpent hanging from a limb, and winding himself 

 round the body of the animal. The tree by which we were standing 

 protected us. The falling one was caught in its descent, so that we 

 escaped a severe whipping, if nothing worse. 



Cornelio was ahead, and halted while the baggage-mules passed by. 

 "When we came up, we found him shaking hands with five most wild 

 and savage-looking men. Their faces were painted in stripes of red, 

 green, and blue, which gave them the appearance of being tattooed. 

 Their hair was short ; dirty bark cloths were suspended round their 

 waists. The feet, legs, breasts, arms, and heads were bare. In their left 

 hands they carried bows and arrows ; in a belt a long knife of English 

 manufacture. Their teeth were much worn and dirty. They had holes 

 in their ears and noses, but no ornaments in them. They were middle- 

 sized men, stoutly built, but lazy looking. Their natural color was 

 concealed by dirt and paint. We were unable to tell, upon so short 

 acquaintance, what it was. Their eyes were blood-shot, and their gen- 

 eral appearance showed to most advantage when viewed from amongst 

 friends. Each one came up and shook hands in an awkward manner 

 that plainly showed the habit was .not natural. They smiled, however, 

 and quickly asked for bread, fish-hooks, and knives. Cornelio told them 

 to bring us game and fish to the next stopping-place, and when we un- 

 loaded our mules he would have something for them. They at present 

 received bread and ate it up greedily. Rose started at a noise in the 

 woods, and on looking round, we beheld three more younger Indians 



