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FORTEK^S JOURNAL* 



rocks and mountains, to the summits of which they suc- 

 ceeded in raising it ; and I never should have beUeved it 

 possible that a people so devoid of artificial means of as- 

 sisting labour, should have been able to perform a task so 

 truly herculean. I inquired by what manner they had di- 

 vided the labour among themselves, in order that each 

 might share his proportion of it. They told me they had 

 carried it by valleys, that is, the people of one valley, had 

 agreed to take it a certain distance, when it was to be 

 received and carried on by those of another valley, and so 

 on to the top of the mountain. This was all the informa- 

 tion i could obtain on the subject* No doubt they had 

 recourse to some mode of apportioning the labour among 

 themselves ; for it was observed that they, from time to 

 time, relieved each other, and that some were occupied 

 solely in the transportation of the carriage. The gun was 

 brought down again, without any desire being expressed 

 on my part, when it was no longer expected to be of use. 

 I had felt indifferent about the gun, as we had an abun™ 

 dance of them, and if I had any wish on the subject, it 

 was that it should remain on the mountains as a monument 

 of their great exertions. 



As I before remarked, they have no chiefs who appear 

 to assume any authority over them. They have only 

 patriarchs, who possess solely the mild and gentle influ- 

 ence of a kind and indulgent father among his children* 

 Gattanewa owns much land, and bis tenants pay him in 

 kind. When presents are to be made, he calls upon therQ 

 for his due in hogs, cocoa-nuts, bananas, or bread-fruit ; 

 other landholders follow his example, the contributors 

 assemble before his house, one with two or more cocoa- 

 nuts, a bunch of bananas, one or two bread-fruit, a hog^ 

 a stalk of sugar-cane, or a root of tarra. When all are 

 collected, Gattanewa, his son, or grandson, takes the lead, 

 and they march in one line for the camp, to the number of 

 two or three hundred. In the same manner we received 

 the contributions of all the other tribes, with this difference 

 only, that all the tribes except those of the valley of 

 Tieuhoy were always preceded by a person bearing a white 

 flag. When I asked Gattanewa why this practice was not 

 adopted by the people of his valley, his reply was, every 

 body knew we were friends. 



