258 



LONGEVITY TR APICHE . 



Madeira Plate, besides snakes, lizards, and any quantity of insect?, 

 Trinidad was his head-quarters from which he branched off in all direc- 

 tions during the dry season. His room was a perfect curiosity shop, 

 The birds were rolled up in paper after they had been properly cured, 

 and stowed away in large wooden boxes. Every day, at different hours, 

 he went to the field; after days of labor, he would be seen returning with 

 a single bird, differing from any in his room. He procures poisonous 

 snakes by splitting the end of a stick to form a fork, which he places 

 over the neck of the snake, and holds him until a gourd or bottle is fixed 

 over his head, when he loosens his fork and the snake crawls into the 

 cavity. He then corks the gourd and puts it into his pocket. After 

 the snake starves to death, or is drowned in spirits, his skin is taken off, 

 preserved, and stuffed, ready for exporting to the museums of the civilized 

 world. 



During the rainy season the bird-hunter enters a canoe, and repairs 

 to those places where the various animals are collected together. He 

 obtains many species there, which would require a length of time to 

 follow up, and fills his canoe with venison and deer skins. 



Longevity is not so great in the bottom of the Madeira Plate as on the 

 mountains. "We find very few old people in Mojos. The population is 

 principally composed of middle-aged men. Women appear to reach a 

 greater age, both on the mountains and here. They arrive at maturity 

 about the same time in both regions. 



The men of Mojos are less addicted to exciting drinks ; they use 

 tobacco in moderation, while those of the mountains are immoderate in 

 their use of the coca. The men of Mojos appear to possess more physical 

 strength ; they are more supple and active than the mountain Indians. 

 All agree perfectly as^to indolence. The Creole portion of the popula- 

 tion of Bolivia are the most idle of the two races. 



On the 14th of August, 1852, Don Antonio found his cargo could not 

 be disposed of in Trinidad, and he must return to Brazil with his boats. 

 Don Antonio had Brazilian boatmen — negroes and mestizos. These 

 men came up from the Amazon with him, and were thought the only 

 kind of people who could be employed upon the expedition. 



At daylight in the morning, Cayuba came with his wife and thirty 

 Indians, bearing poles, to carry our baggage to the port at Trapiche, 

 Cayuba's wife brought us yuca and oranges to use on the voyage. Our 

 passports were made out, and upon my offering to pay what was usual, 

 the Intendente, who was a very polite person, 'said the government did 

 not charge me. 



The passports of Don Antonio and his twelve people cost him the 



