392 



the popular traditions of women without hus- 

 bands, and on the origin of the green stones 

 which are believed to be intimately connected 

 with them. I shall however recite a modern 

 testimony of some weighty that of father Gili. 

 t( Upon inquiring," says this well-informed mis- 

 sionary, " of a Quaqua Indian, what nations 

 inhabited the Rio Cuchivero, he named to me 

 the Achirigotoes, the Pajuroes, and the Aikeam- 

 benanoes*. Well acquainted with the Tama- 

 nac tongue, I instantly comprehended the sense 

 of this last word, which is a compound, and sig- 

 nifies women living alone. The Indian confirmed 

 my observation, and related, that the Aikeam- 

 benanoes were a community of women, who fa- 

 bricated long sarbacans, and other weapons of 

 war. They admit once a year the^men of the 

 neighbouring nation of Vokearoes into their 

 society, and send them back with presents of 

 sarbacans. All the male children born in this 

 horde of women are killed in their infancy/ 

 This history seems framed on the traditions, 

 which circulate among the Indians of the Ma- 

 ragnon, and among the Caribbees ; yet the Qua- 

 qua Indian, of whom father Gili speaks, was 

 ignorant of the Castilian langnage; he had 

 never had any communication with white men; 

 and certainly knew not, that south of the Oroo- 



* In Italian, Acchirecotti, Pqjuri, and Akkeam-benano* 



