178 
The Respondent’s Defence. 
600. After this witness had stated her case thus characteristically, 
there followed the examination of yet several others, both women and 
men. the latter developing a similar modulation of voice, if not to the 
same extent. 
601. Although during the whole examination of the witnesses I 
watched the married couple who were standing their trial, with active 
interest, my attention was riveted in a still greater degree upon the 
complainant when Mr. King now directed his enquiry to her. With 
downcast eyes the really beautiful young woman answered all the 
charges in that plaintive and subdued tone with which the first witness 
had described the scenes of unhappiness. At first she fixed her eyes 
intently upon a particular spot on the ground and only later did she raise 
her head just for a moment, probably to convince herself of the im- 
pressions her replies were making upon Mr. King. The same deep 
sense of suffering expressed in her features and :n the whole of her bearing 
had spread itself over all the women around. The defendant husband who 
stood apart and alone on the opposite side, directed his proud and stead- 
fast looks at Mr. King, though he now and again let his glance fall upon 
his wife. I must admit that the woman's choice could not meet with 
disapproval, for although I had seen so many Warraus, I had never yet 
noted a man of such faultless physique, with so daring and spirited a 
gaze. His long, black, thick, and at the same time somewhat curly hair 
was carefully combed and covered with a broad straw hat. Below the 
ryes, thrilling with fire yet at the same time imbued with a melancholy 
and half contemptuous look, sloped a well-developed aquiline nose — in 
short, his whole appearance reminded me of the picture of a hero of the 
Spanish Guerillas in fancy costume, rather than a member of the 
Warrau tribe. His mental faculties seemed to harmonise entirely with 
his physical pre-eminence, for he carried out his defence with such grit 
and such a stream of eloquence, that my surprise was ever on the in- 
crease. According to Caberalli’s translation it came out that he deemed 
his wife's laziness as great as her beauty, a reproach which he expressed 
by a comparison between her and a sloth. When returning from a trip, 
a hunting or fishing expedition, he had never found anything but empty 
pots, never a drink of paiwari, so that he had always to beg something 
from a neighbour. At first he had reproved his wife and then warned 
her — but all to no purpose: as things were on the one day, so they 
remained the next, and only too soon did lie and his lazy wife become 
the butt and bye-word of the whole village. Such a disgrace however a 
Warrau could not stand. Although lie readily admitted that beating 
was only intended for dogs, he had been unable to control himself any 
longer and had struck his wife: but even this had done her no good, 
and he would rather have nothing more to do with her. 
605. Though the Warrau, during his wife’s complaint, had stood 
quite motionless and without moving a muscle of his face, staring fixedly 
in front of him, his wife on the other hand, judging from the active and 
painful struggle depicted upon her features, betrayed how little she 
could control the mental excitement, the agony, which these probably false 
charges had aroused in her. With every fresh accusation, with each 
