i85i.] A NIGHT IN THE MALOCCA. 193 



ceived during our passage among the bushes on the river-side. 

 In the afternoon we reached another village, also situated up 

 a narrow igaripe, and consisting of a house and two maloccas 

 at some distance from it. The inhabitants had gone to a 

 neighbouring village, where ther;^ was caxiri and dancing, and 

 two women only were left behind with some children. About 

 these houses were several parrots, macaws, and curassow-birds, 

 which all these Indians breed in great numbers. The next 

 day we reached Ananarapicoma, or " Pine-apple Point," the 

 village where the dance was taking place. It consisted of 

 several small houses besides the large malocca, many of the 

 Indians who have been with traders to the Rio Negro imitating 

 them in using separate dwellings. 



On entering the great malocca a most extraordinary and 

 novel scene presented itself. Some two hundred men, women, 

 and children were scattered about the house, lying in the 

 maqueiras, squatting on the ground, or sitting on the small 

 painted stools, which are made only by the inhabitants of this 

 river. Almost all were naked and painted, and wearing their 

 various feathers and other ornaments. Some were walking or 

 conversing, and others were dancing, or playing small fifes 

 and whistles. The regular festa had been broken up that 

 morning; the chiefs and principal men had put off their 

 feather head-dresses, but as caxirf still remained, the young 

 men and women continued dancing. They were painted over' 

 their whole bodies in regular patterns of a diamond or diagonal' 

 character, with black, red, and yellow colours ; the former, a 

 purple or blue black, predominating. The face was orna- 

 mented in various styles, generally with bright red in bold 

 stripes or spots, a large quantity of the colour being applied 

 to each ear, and running down on the sides of the cheeks and 

 neck, producing a very fearful and sanguinary appearance. 

 The grass in the ears was now decorated with a little tuft of 

 white downy feathers, and some in addition had three little 

 strings of beads from a hole pierced in the lower lip. All 

 wore the garters, which were now generally painted yellow. 

 Most of the young women who danced had besides a small 

 apron of beads of about eight inches by six inches, arranged 

 in diagonal patterns with much taste ; besides this, the paint 

 on their naked bodies was their only ornament ; they had not 

 ^ven the comb in their hair, which the men are never without, i 



