3-84 N A R R A T I V E O F A N 



CHAP, fill, efpecially when, as they fiippofe, they are injured 

 ' without juft provocation. 



The only vices with which to my knowledge they are 

 acquainted, if fuch araongft them they may be called, are 

 exceflive drinking when opportunity offers, and an un- 

 accountable indolence : an Indian's only occupation, when 

 he is not hunting or fifhing, being to lounge in his ham- 

 mock, picking his teeth, plucking the hairs from his 

 beard, examining his face in a bit of broken looking- 

 glafs, &:c. 



The Indians in general are a very cleanly people, bath- 

 ing twice or thrice every day in the river, or the fea. 

 They have all thick hair, which never turns grey, and 

 the head never becomes bald ; both fexes pluck out 

 every veftige of hair on their bodies, that on the head 

 only excepted : it is of a fliining black, which the men 

 wear ihort, but the women very long, hanging over the 

 back and fhoulders to their middle ; as if they had 

 ftudied the fcriptures, where it is faid that long hair is an 

 ornament to a woman, but a difgrace to a man. 



The Guiana Indians are neither tall, flrong, nor muf- 

 cular : but they are flraight, acSlive, and generally in 

 a good ftate of health. Their faces have no expref- 

 lion whatever, that of a placid good-nature and con- 

 tent excepted; and their features are beaiatifully re- 

 gular, with fmall black eyes, thin lips, and very white 

 teeth. However, all the Guiana Indians disfigure them- 

 felves more or lefs by the ufe of arnotta or rocow, by 



them 



