149 
Strange Family Picture. 
its roots anew. In .spite of the monkeys having already obtained the 
chief portion of the harvest, the vanilla pod being their favourite tit- 
bit, Mr. King managed to collect a considerable quantity. The pods 
have yet to undergo quite a peculiar form of treatment before acquiring 
their glorious perfume. 
520. After following the crooked course of the Barium for some 
time in between this fairy-like growth of giant trees, the proud summits 
of which reach a height unknown in European forests, dementi drew 
our attention to a piece of land on which the Cecropia pelt at a was grow- 
ing in profusion, with the remark, “the last dwelling of the white man.” 
From what he told us we concluded that at the beginning of this cen- 
tury a settler, a Dutchman it appeared, had pushed his way as far as 
the mouth of the little stream Huena, where he had started a sugar 
plantation and combined a timber business with it: the solitude of the 
virgin forest, that rendered all business relations difficult, and a 
smaller profit than he had expected, seemed to have induced him to 
abandon it shortly afterwards. 
521. The configuration of the ground that had been so uniform and 
level hitherto, now began to show an occasional rise that was abundant- 
ly covered with forest trees until, close to the mouth of the Caruwava 
or Caruawa, on the right bank, some huts on one of these hills induced 
us to enter the stream, and pay the settlement a visit. It required but 
a glance to survey the miserable houses and the equally scanty household 
requisites. The first living being that we met was a young Warrau 
woman nursing her baby atone breast, and a young marsupial ( Didel - 
phis) at the other. A strange family picture for the eye of a European! 
522. A numerous gathering of men thickly painted with Rucu and 
embellished with the most variegated feather ornaments indicated the 
celebration of a feast. We drew near the drinking hall and soon recog- 
nised further signs of the carouse in the huge trough filled with pai* 
wari, and the continual passing of the calabashes. Several young girls, 
who played the part of Ganymedes, attracted our attention not: only on 
account of their neat clean print costume, but also their regular build 
of body and features : the Avomen of the Warraus whom we had hitherto 
seen had never offered us an equally pleasant sight. 
523. When the chief noticed us, he and the other male participants 
jumped out of their hammocks. The former reached under the frame- 
work of the roof and brought out from there his sltaff of office Avhicli 
had been carefully rolled up in palm-leaves and, with it in his hand, 
formally bade us Avelcome. Clementi, probably never even dreaming of 
such a gathering, had stayed behind in the corial with the remaining 
Indians but, our long stay arousing his attention, folloAved us after a 
while. Hardly had he noticed us in the centre of the festive circle than 
he quickly hurried back to the corial and made his toilette: dressed up 
with a Avhite shirt, the light blue bait in its white paper cover on his 
head, and the staff of sovereignty in his hand, he stepped into our circle 
and stiffly greeted the neighbourly chief who, returning the salutation 
with equal dignity, bade him welcome to his district. 
524. As I have already frequently mentioned, the Indians are pas- 
sionately fond of play and amusement: hitherto we had only become 
