862 
Salompenter's Eggs in A^ts* Nests. 
882. jS'ext moi'uing the river came from more out of a nortli-easterly 
(lirectioii iu connection with which several isolated thickly Avooded hills 
rose on its right bank. The Warraus called them Lalempo. A day's 
journey farther and we had arrived at the first Akawai settlement, 
Pirisana, with about 80 of a population. The greater part of the men 
were uAvay on a trading expedition. About half a mile further up on the 
opposite shore was Cariacu, the Carib settlement, the spot that my 
brother had reached on his walking-tour from Manari on the Barima. 
AVe only remained in Pirisana long enough to satisfy our hunger with 
fresh cassava-bread, and then Avent on to Cariacu. The left bank on 
which the village stood \\ as so steep that we eould only reach it with a 
rough ladder. Here also 1 found only the chief and the female resi- 
dents at home. The former was a sensible and intelligent man avIio 
received me friendly, and gave me the largest of the houses to put up in. 
The Barama still had a width of (30 yards, and yet in spite of this my 
host assured me that I could not push on any further with my boats 
owing to the overturned trees and rapids, and that for the same reason 
it Avas only navigable from now onwards by Avoodskins which, on account 
of their lightness, could be trans])ortefl over such obstacles Avithout 
lunch difiiculty. The beautiful Broicitca flourished here to an extent 
only comparable elsewhere on the banks of the Barima. Amongst the 
denizens of the neighbonring forest (lie large lizard Podiiiciiia Tcijtü.rbi 
Wagl. very frequently canght my eye: this is the "Salompenter" of the 
Tolonists, the flesh of which \cy\ much resembles that of the Iguana. 
It is an especially shy and quick creature. When at rest, it usually 
holds its head up in the air AAdiile at the same time it keeps continually 
shooting out its tongue : as soon however that it finds that escape to its 
secure dwelling is no longer possible, it shows a bold front, bites, and 
brnA^ely lashes round with its 2 to 2i ft. long tail. The Salompenter is 
found more plentifully on the coast than in the interior, where it is far 
from being welcomed near fowl-coops, because it eagerly snatches up 
not only the eggs. l>ut even the youngi poultry. I frequently found it« 
eggs, which are of tlie same size as the Iguana's, in the large globular 
nest of a termite which I came across not only in* the forests but also on 
the stumps of felled trees on the estates, built about 2 to 3 feet from the 
ground. The Salompenter hollows out these ant-nests, eats up their 
liuilders and then lays its .'lO to 00 eggs inside: it breaks the circular 
entrance through it always close to the trunk, so that on climbing np the 
stump it can slip in with ease. 
883. The news of our arrival drew a number of Akawais occupying 
the upper Barama and its environs, to Cariacu where they came with 
provisions, particularly plenty of fowls. The Akawais are essentially 
distinguished from remaining Indians on account of their robust and 
compact build of body, and their darker reddish tinge of skin : they are, 
at all events, a fellow-tribe of tlie Caribs, as is shewn not only by their 
language but also by their Avarlike and enterprising nature. I have 
already stated that they ai-e the real trading class of Guiana. As each 
looks upon himself as master, their chief exercises but nominal 
authority, and only an extra strong character can enforce recognition 
