194 WANDERINGS IN 



Third people of coloiii' talk tlie language well. The temper of 



Journey. 



the Indian of Guiana is mild and gentle, and he is very 



fond of his children. 



Some ignorant travellers and colonists call these 

 Indians a lazy race. Man in general will not be active 

 without an object. Now when the Indian has caught 

 plenty of fish, and killed game enough to last him for a 

 week, what need has he to range the forest ? He has no 

 idea of making pleasure grounds. Money is of no use to 

 him, for in these wilds there are no markets for him to 

 frequent, nor milliners' shops for his wife and daughters ; 

 he has no taxes to pay, no highways to keep up, no 

 poor to maintain, nor army nor navy to supply ; he lies 

 in his hammock both night and day, (for he has no chair 

 or bed, neither does he want them,) and in it he forms his 

 bow, and makes his arrows, and repairs his fishing tackle. 

 But as soon as he has consumed his provisions, he then 

 rouses himself, and like the lion scours the forest in 

 quest of food. He plunges into the river after the deer 

 and Tapir, and swims across it ; passes through swamps 

 and quagmires, and never fails to obtain a sufficient 

 supply of food. Should the approach of night stop his 

 career, Avhile he is hunting the wild boar, he stops for the 

 night, and continues the chase the next morning. In my 

 way through the wilds to the Portuguese frontier I had 

 a proof of this : we were eight in number, six Indians, 

 a negro, and myself. About ten o'clock in the morning. 



