XI 
MARABITANAS 
345 
of captives, and could converse with none of those 
around them, for they were ignorant of both Portu- 
guese and Lingoa Geral ; but with the aid of signs 
I obtained from them a good many words of their 
language. Unfortunately, the note-book containing 
them was lost." 
Spruce appears to have stayed at Marabitanas 
twelve days (March 20 to April i), probably to 
Fig. 30. — Macu Indian - Fig. 31, — Macu Indian 
(age about 9). (age about 16). 
obtain stores of food or to make some needful 
repairs to his boat ; but there is no other record of 
this period in his Journal than the preceding note ; 
nor does he appear to have done any botanising in 
the neighbourhood, since in the descriptive register 
of his plants (carefully bound in volumes) there is 
no entry between the last on the Uaupes river and 
the first at San Carlos more than a month later. 
This almost implies that he was ill, though he does 
not mention it. — Ed.] 
While staying here I met a young man from 
Uruana on the Orinoco, where Humboldt observed 
Otomacs eating earth ; this person, however, has 
