The First Fruits of Formal Christianity. 
333 
tidiness ruled both oiitside and inside tlie houses, and a look into the 
open dwellings showed m© the well-nourished figures of the women and 
girls in an absolute state of nature: they were just then busily engaged 
in washing their own and the men's clothing, because they were all 
leaving the following day, Saturday, for the Mission where they wanted 
to stay over for Sunday's services. Though the Jiidian can accustom 
himself so little to clothing, he would nevertheless feel ashamed of 
coming into church without any, be it only a shii t that he covers himself 
with. As soon as the church goei-s leave the sacred edifice, tlie clothes 
are straightway packed into the basket intended for them, where tliey 
remain until the following Friday, to be again taken out and examined 
to see if another wash is required : it is always the first sign of a formal 
Christianity. The thermometer still recorded SO" F. of an evening, 
Mr. Blackburn, in spite of the darkness that had set in, turned to go back 
home. 
802. On the following morning, everybody except one sick old 
woman had disappeared from the settlement. But even she did not seem 
to be too safe with us near by, for hardly had we got out of our liouse 
than she languidly dragged herself off into the forest ami only sliowed 
up when the Caribs returned, so that from jSaturday to Monday we 
remained the only occupants of Kuamuta. 
803. The hill was girdled with most luxuriant foliage trees amongst 
which several B i/periccdc, A i)i i/ri(1<'(ie, IJ iintiriaceae, Malpiyhfiaceae, Mim- 
oseae, Cordiaceae, and (i ii ftifcrar, were noticeable. The collecting of twigs 
with blossoms from these huge trees was naturally attended with no in- 
considerable difticiiKy, beciuise jointly and severally they could not be 
climbed, and would therefore have to be cut down : a labour, however, 
which had its reward for me in that in most cases I recognised new 
genera and species. Equally as flourishing as the forest vegetation were 
the provision fields which stretched down the hill sides. At the foot of 
the hill the foliage tr-ees had disa])peai'ed aud were re]daced by Mauirarid , 
l\Ia.riii\iUann , and Oenocarpns. Besides the usual plants cultivated in 
the plantations I found also the beautiful Paripi palm, GuiUehna speciosa 
Mart, which the coastal i)eople like on account of its fruit, certainly only 
tasty to the Indian's palate, and therefore readily planted in their fields. 
804. I have only met this rapidly growing palm [the Paripi] along 
the coast, never at more than 800 feet above sea-level. The fruits have 
a whitish fibrous almost sweetish flesh, and look nicer than thev taste: 
with often several hundreds of these attached to the long fruit-stalk the 
slender palm presents a funnv appearance. The Indians boil the fruit 
and also make a sweet drink of it. 
SO.". However much rewarded Ave may have lieen l»v our stay at 
Kuamuta. we were on the other hand punished by the "Betes rouges" 
which, settled on every bush and grass-blade, stuck on to us and soon 
found tlieir way under our- clothes where they dug themselves' into the 
soft parts and loins. Kubbing Avith lime-juice was the only remedy for 
killing these tormenting wretclu^s. As the creature turns black when 
dead, our bodies received a peculiar covering. lu the CocJogenijfi paca 
I found these parasites clotted together in regular lumps digging away 
