565 



which ancient traditions placed for centuries 

 near the sources of the Oroonoko. I had an 

 opportunity of seeing some of these Indians at 

 Esmeralda, and can affirm, that the shortness of 

 the Guaicas*, and the fairness of the Guahari- 

 boes, whom Father Caul in -j- calls Guaribos 

 blancos, have been alike exaggerated. The Gua- 

 icas, whom I measured, were in general from 

 four feet seven inches to four feet eight inches 

 high (ancient measure of France). We were 

 assured, that the whole tribe were of this extreme 

 littleness ; but we must not forget, that what is 

 called a tribe constitutes, properly speaking, but 

 one family. The exclusion of all foreign mixture 

 contributes to perpetuate varieties, or the aber- 

 rations from a common standard. The Indians 

 of the lowest stature next to the Guaicas are the 

 Guainares and the Poignaves. It is singular, 

 that all these nations are found close to the 

 Caribbees, who are remarkably tall. They all 

 inhabit the same climate, and subsist on the 

 same aliment. They are varieties in the race, 

 which no doubt existed previously to the settle- 



* It appears, that there are Guaicas also to the north-east 

 of Esmeralda, near the Rio Cuyuni, in the missions of the 

 Capuchins. Caulin, p. 57. 



t He places them at the sources of the Canno Amaguaca, 

 (Corogr., p, 81). They now wander more to the north-east, 

 near the Great Cataract, above the Gehette and the Chiguire. 

 Gili (vol. i, p. 334) calls them in Italian, Guaivi bianchi. 



