W A RR au Physique. 
93 
wanting: only ferns, Aroids, Scitamineae , Harantaceae, and JUusaceac 
covered the surface, climbing Aroids and the Besleria coccinea Aubl. 
embraced the bases of the palms, while the broad-leafed Pothos dotted 
the densely-wound columns with their white flowers. More towards 
the neighbourhood of the stream there grew a many-coloured mixture of 
different species of Dracontium, Bacopa aquatica Aubl., Psychotria viol- 
acea Aubl., and Rapatea paludosa Aubl. which were interspersed with 
delicate groups of Spennera aquatica Mart., Lisyanthus coerulescens 
Aubl., and the Tocoyena longiflora Aubl., with long red blossoms. A 
continuous rain trickled from the leaves covered with Jnngermanniae 
and a heavy musty layer of air rested on the moist and slippery soil. 
321. Feeling fatigued with all these potent impressions, I now has- 
tened back to the settlement where a new surprise awaited me, for not 
only had all the villagers returned from their labours in the forest, but 
Indians from the nearest situate settlements had also gathered here 
during my absence. The scene in front of me was remarkably lively. 
Some standing in groups, others squatting on their heels, the men sur- 
rounded the house I occupied, where our baggage, cooking utensils, etc,, 
seemed to furnish them with subject for conversation, while at some dis- 
tance away stood the women and children with a number of tame monk- 
eys, parrots, dogs, hammocks and fruits, their articles of trade. 
Although as already mentioned T had seen many a single Indian in 
Georgetown, I nevertheless experienced a peculiar sensation when, on 
first stepping out of the forest, I noticed such a number of reddish-brown 
naked figures: it, was an impression in strong contrast to the one I had 
just received. 
322. The Warrau Indians are almost generally of small stature : the 
men from four to five, the women seldom over four feet high: closer ex- 
amination gives no practical proof whatever of any external powerful 
appearance because they are anything but muscular. The size of the 
head stands in very inharmonious relation with that of the body which 
remains still more strikingly pre-eminent as regards the long trunk and 
short legs: still, their beautiful sleek black hair, and their well-formed 
legs and thighs in every case distinguish them essentially from the 
African race. The face, owing to the strongly projecting cheek-bones is 
apparently broad, the forehead low. The pigment of the eyes appeared 
to me to be generally black. The eye-slits are raised somewhat at their 
outer angles towards the temples, without the forehead however being 
so compressed as the negro. In this connection they seem to me to form 
rather an intermediate link between the Europeans and the Africans. 
The bone at the root of the nose is somewhat depressed and the nasal 
cartilages flat. I found their teeth entirely bad on the whole and tooth- 
ache seems to be common. The ears are small and neat, the neck is 
short and strong, the chest of the men is broad, while the breasts of the 
women, as soon as they have borne children, hang like sponges. Hands, 
feet, and ankles, especially in the females, are generally so delicately form- 
ed that they would serve as models to any artist. The black, sleek, shiny 
and thick hair, with both sexes hangs dishevelled over the shoulders. 
The chin of the men as well as other portions of the body which in Eur- 
opeans are screened with hair, were with them covered by a fine soft 
down, which nevertheless both men and women sought to destroy by 
