12 



creased by the rage they have for dying their 

 eyebrows with the juice of the caruto*, en- 

 larging them, and joining them together. They 

 often mark the whole face with black spots, 

 in order to appear more savage. The magis- 

 trates of the place, the Governador and the 

 Alcades, who alone have the privilege of carrying 

 long canes, came to visit us. Among them 

 were some young Indians from eighteen to 

 twenty years of age, the choice depending solely 

 on the will of the missionary. We were struck 

 at finding among these Caribbees painted with 

 arnotta the same airs of importance, the stiff 

 mien, and the cold and disdainful manners, 

 which are sometimes to be met with among 

 people in office, in the old continent. The 

 Caribbee women are less robust, and uglier 

 than the men. On them devolves almost the 

 whole burden of domestic labours, no well as 

 those of the fields. They asked us with ear- 

 nestness for pins; which, having no pockets, 

 they placed under the lower lip, piercing the 

 skin, so that the head of the pin remained with- 

 in the mouth. The young girls are dyed with 

 red; and, except the guajuco, are naked. Among 

 the different nations of the two worlds the idea 

 of nudity is altogether relative. A woman in 

 some parts of Asia is not permitted to show the 



* See vol. iv, p. 519. 



