SOUTH AMERICA. 37 

 will, every one of them, tell you that there is a nation First 



Journey. 



of Indians Avith long tails ; that they are very malicious, 



cruel, and ill-natured ; and that the Portuguese have 

 been obliged to stop them off in a certain river, to pre- 

 vent their depredations. They have also dreadful stories 

 concerning a horrible beast, called the Water-mamma, 

 which, when it happens to take a spite against a canoe, 

 rises out of the river, and in the most unrelenting manner 

 possible carries both canoe and Indians down to the bot- 

 tom with it, and there destroys them. Ludicrous extra- 

 vagances ! pleasing to those fond of the marvellous, and 

 excellent matter for a distempered brain. 



The misinformed and timid court of policy in Deme- Anecdote, 

 rara, was made the dupe of a savage, who came down the 

 Essequibo, and gave himself out as king of a mighty 

 tribe. This naked Avild man of the woods seemed to hold 

 the said court in tolerable contempt, and demanded im- 

 mense supplies, all which he got ; and moreover, some 

 time after, an invitation to come doAvn the ensuing year 

 for more, which he took care not to forget. 



This noisy chieftain boasted so much of his dynasty 

 and domain, that the government was induced to send up 

 an expedition into his territories to see if he had spoken 

 the truth, and nothing but the truth. It appeared, hoAV- 

 ever, that his palace Avas nothing but a hut, the monarch 

 a needy savage, the heir-apparent nothing to inherit but 

 his father's club and bow and arrows, and his officers of 



