570 



They differ in nothing from the wild Indians. 

 Their eyes, pretty large and black, expressed more 

 vivacity than those of the Indians who inhabit 

 the ancient missions. We in vain offered them 

 brandy: they wonld not even taste it. The 

 faces of all the young girls were marked with 

 round black spots ; like the patches, by which 

 the women of Europe formerly imagined they 

 set off the whiteness of their skins. The bodies 

 of the Guahiboes were not painted. Several of 

 them had beards, of which they seemed proud ; 

 and, taking us by the chin, showed us by signs, , 

 that they were made like us. Their shape was 

 in general slender. I was again struck, as I 

 had been among the Salivas and the Macoes, 

 with the little uniformity of features to be found 

 in the Indians of the Oroonoko. Their look is 

 sad and gloomy ; but neither stern nor ferocious. 

 Without having any notion of the practices of 

 the Christian religion (the missionary of Cari- 

 chana celebrates mass at San Borja only three 

 or four times a year), they behaved with the 

 utmost decency at church. The Indians love 

 to exhibit themselves ; and will submit tempo- 

 rarily to any restraint or subjection, provided 

 they are sure of drawing attention. At the 

 moment of the consecration, they made signs 

 to one another, to indicate beforehand, that/ 

 the priest was going to carry the chalice to 

 his lips. With the exception of this gesture., 



