142 
A New Wahr att Settlement. 
tree tops, but my Indians who knew liow; to imitate their peculiar note 
in the most deceptive manner, decoyed them down onto the lowest 
branches within range of our guns. The r Ampelis Gay ana Linn, also put 
in an appearance, and complete chains of dainty ducks (Ana# autum- 
nalis) that mostly perched upon the branches of sunken trees emerging 
above the water, proved an easy prey for us. 
496. Of all our Indian friends, my doings, collecting, and skinning 
seemed to afford the greatest pleasure to Caberalli, the chieftain. If I 
hurried ahead of the flotilla with my corial he followed on with his: if 
I stayed behind, he also gave his paddlers a rest. Shaking his head, 
wrapped in its red cloth, folding his arms and smiling, lie stayed in front 
of Lis corial-tent and did nothing else but eat, drink, and with a friendly 
glance notify me of his attentiveness: thus contented, he never once took 
the weapon in his hand to help me shoot. 
497. Some hills bounding both sides of the horizon, the first rising 
ground to be seen, showed up a few hours after passing the mouth of the 
Maruiwa, and upon onef on the left bank we noticed a pleasant house 
which dementi the Warrau chief had erected for his own residence. It 
beckoned to us so invitingly that we determined to stop and spend the 
night under its roof. 
498. As the range of hills did not directly touch the banks of the 
stream, and the intervening space was swamped with the Hood tide and 
present high state of the water, we found that the river folk had built 
a strong durable bridge up to the foot of the rise out of the trees that 
had all been felled along a certain width on the flat. In several places 
this bridge was, it is true, so narrow that we had to keep very careful 
balance lest we should have to appear dripping wet before the chief. The 
Indians possess great skill in keeping their equilibrium and many of our 
companions, laden with plenty of heavy baggage hurried lightly and safe- 
ly over the slender path : even the Indian carrying Mr. Hancock who, 
on account of the unfortunate condition of his feet, could not walk a step, 
trotted with his load along these narrow trunks as securely as if he w r ere 
proceeding comfortably over the widest flat. 
499. In spite of the noisy sport we made in endeavouring to keep our 
balance, nobody shewed up at the top, on reaching which there rose in 
front of us the desirable dwelling, a Warrau house, which markedly dif- 
fered from all others I had hitherto seen: not only was it a two-storeyed 
one, but it was supplied with a. gallery running all the way round. The 
chief was sitting in a stiff and starchy attitude on a stool in the centre 
of the building. He was clothed in a blue dress-coat with the collar 
turned up at the back, and in wdiite trousers, and without ‘getting up, 
gave us a long speech, the meaning of which in short w r as that he had 
already received intelligence of our coming, thrft we w'ore welcome, and 
that he w r as pleased to offer us his house to stav in: the upper storev 
nevertheless w r as only intended for his friend Mr. King who in future 
would occupy it on his annual tour of inspection. 
500 The chief’s moderately large harem who w r ere busy w T eaving 
hammocks reviewed us with inquisitive gaze. As soon as one of these 
t Evidently the present Mount Terminus, See Sect 505— (Ed), 
