435 



nations to a wandering life. On entering the 

 mountains of the Cataracts of the Oroonoko, we 

 shall soon find among the Piraoas, the Macoes. 

 and the Maquiritares, milder manners, the love 

 of agriculture, and great cleanliness in the in- 

 terior of their huts. On the backs of moun- 

 tains, in the midst of impenetrable forests, man 

 is compelled to fix himself, and cultivate a small 

 spot of land. This cultivation requires little 

 care ; while in a country where there are no 

 other roads than rivers, the life of the hunter is 

 laborious and difficult. The Guamoes of the 

 mission of Santa Barbara could not furnish us 

 with the provision we wanted, They cultivate 

 only a little cassava. They appeared hospitable ; 

 and, when we entered their huts, offered us 

 dried fish and water (in their tongue cub). 

 This water was cooled in porous vessels. 



Beyond the V uelta del Cochino roto, in a spot 

 where the river has scooped itself a new bed, we 

 passed the night on a bare and very extensive 

 strand. The forest being impenetrable, we had 

 the greatest difficulty to find dry wood to light 

 fires, near which the Indians believe themselves 

 in safety from the nocturnal attacks of the tiger. 

 Our own experience seems to depose in favour 

 of this opinion ; but M. d'Azzara asserts, that 

 in his time a tiger in Paraguay carried off a man, 

 who was seated near a fire lighted in the 

 savannah. 



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