256 
Indians on the BAiTLE-FiELb. 
sunk in tlie water, and at nightfall pulled out and the journey resumed. 
The warriors also hide themselves in the forest and carefully avoid doing 
everything that might indicate their presence. 
591. If the contending forces meet in the open, action begins with 
a war-dance, wherein the enemy challenge their opponents with a number 
of contortions and gesticulations, both parties trying in general to 
influence each other's passions by singing at one another with lampoon 
and sneer. The combat starts only from a distance with poisoned 
arrows, of which each warrior takes seven to battle. When these are 
shot the fight continues with war-clubs and indeed man against man. 
If one side withdraws, it tries above evei-ything else to rescue its dead, 
so that these should not fall into the hands of the enemy, a business that 
is imposed upon the women who accompany the men like pack-animals 
and constitute the camp-followers. As implicit obedience has to be 
rendered the chief in wai^-time, he is distinguished by a brilliant feather- 
decoration, finer weapons, and a particular kind of body-painting. The 
warriors are also painted on such occasions differently from wliat they 
are during peace: their hair is thickly covered with rucu and feathers 
stuck on it. Georgetown residents can even yet recall the peculiarly 
gruesome spectacle that presented itself at the last revolt of the Negroes 
when the nude thrillingly painted and fantastically ornamented Warraus, 
Caribs, Akawais and Arawaks were revieAved on the parade ground prior 
to the expedition against the blacks, while their Avomen, loaded like 
beasts of burden Avith weapons and pi ovLsions, formed the rear-guard. 
592. This being the life-history of the Indian in general, the 
question may now be asked, what is he like individually? and again 
here I cannot regard Buft'on's characteristics (sec. 563) as having been 
anywhere confirmed. I readily admit that my experience of the 
Indian led me to form an opinion of him different from what I had pre- 
viously held, based as it Avas upon the accounts given by highly poetic 
souls: but he is certainly not the lazy, unfeeling, indifferent cowardly 
yokel that Buffon desciibes him. A certain bias to indolence rules him 
of course to a higher degree than it does Europeans, or the Indians of 
Xorth America, but the clod of his native home, not his want of strength 
of mind, is the chief reason for it. Like all people Avho are still approxi- 
mating their primitive condition, they are both passionate in love and 
passionate in hate : but the individual never carries his heart in his 
hand : he conceals both feelings from the eyes of his felloAM-men, and 
most of all from Europeans. The man who can hate like the Indian .so 
that nothing can hinder or divert him from the gratification of his 
]iassions, so that to revenge himself he climbs mountains, forces his Avay 
through almost impenetrable forests, and gladly suffers all the liardsliips, 
such as hunger and thirst, that come in his Avay,- — must at the same 
lime be passionate in his love: it would be a psychological anomaly 
other\\ ise. It is true the Indian is taciturn, but only taciturn in the 
presence of strangers, especially the European, because he is proud. 
The I^uropean sees no tears in the eyes of an Indian: the latter's pride 
knoAvs how to control the outward expression of such feelings. When 
the Indian is alone with his tribal relatives, when he has learnt to esteem 
