209 



she gathered the first germes of science, and 

 on those where she now almost involuntarily 

 spreads them by carrying thither the produce of 

 her industry. 



I have faithfully recorded what I could col- 

 lect on the state of these countries, where the 

 vanquished nations become gradually extinct, 

 and leave no other signs of their existence than 

 a few words of their language, mixed with that 

 of the conquerors. We have seen, that in the 

 north, beyond the cataracts, the preponderant na- 

 tions were at first the Caribbees and the Cabres, 

 toward the south, on the Upper Oroonoko, the 

 Guaypunabis ; and on the Rio Negro, the Mare- 

 pizanoesandtheManitivitanoes. The long resist- 

 ance, which the Cabres, united under a valiant 

 chief, had made to the Caribbees, had become fa- 

 tal to them subsequent to the year 1720. They 

 at first vanquished their enemies near the mouth 

 of the Rio Caura; and a great number of Ca- 

 ribbees perished in a precipitate flight, between 

 the Rapids of Torno and the (Isladel Infierno. 

 The prisoners were devoured ; and, by one of 

 those refinements of cunning and cruelty, which 

 are common to the savage nations of both Ame- 

 ricas, the Cabres spared the life of one Carib- 

 bee, whom they forced to climb up a tree to 

 witness this barbarous spectacle, and carry back 

 the tidings to the vanquished. The triumph of 

 Tep, the chief of the Cabres, was but of short 



vol. v. p 



