Pottery Manufacture. 
203 
were raised, all tongues were loosened, and all eyes beamed friendship, 
while heart and hand showed themselves prepared for any service. 1 
admit that I was not very much taken with this want of character, this 
sudden change from their previous offensive and arrogant behaviour: it 
formed too glaring a contrast with the complaisant friendliness and 
gentleness of the remaining tribes with whom I at any rate might have 
been too favourably impressed. What had disgusted me about them had 
spread fright and terror among the aboriginal natives from time im- 
memorial. The Caribs formerly undertook frequent predatory expedi- 
tions into the interior of the country and sold the resulting prisoners as 
slaves to the Dutch or English. The most beautiful of the women and 
girls captured by them on these raids they retained for themselves and 
thus one might clearly explain the observation of earlier travellers that 
the women of the Caribs spoke a language quite different from that of 
the men. Not only amongst themselves but also amongst remaining 
tribes there has been maintained a tradition that the Caribs wandered 
into Guiana and that their ancestors inhabited (lie Islands. As T 
subsequently spent a long time with them, and became better acquainted 
with their manners and customs, I propose postponing any further 
accounts until the description of my stay. With regard to accentuation, 
as well as in the whole structure of the language, I found a remarkable 
correspondence, even in particular words, with that of the Waikas or 
Akawais who in general appear to be a branch tribe of theirs. 
659. The clay pots which we saw the women busily employed 
manufacturing constitute one of their best articles of trade. Although 
suitable clay is to be found in almost all the small streams of the coastal 
region, certain localities are speciallv notable for the excellence of their 
material. To such as these belongs the base of a small hill on the left 
bank of the Cuyuni mouth to which Indians come from distances far 
apart to obtain their requirements. A religious superstition is the 
cause of numerous parties assembling bere to collect it: the Indians 
firmly believe that it is only during the first night of commencing full 
moon when tlmv dare carry on the work, and accordinglv. ns Mr. Bernau 
maintained, whole crowds congregate there on that particular evening 
and return home at break of day with a big supplv. The Indians are 
absolutely convinced that the pots made from clay obtained at any other 
time not only possess the defect of readily breaking, but also bring a 
number of diseases to those who eat out of them. In the manufacture 
of the ware the Gabibs do not vary from the procedure of other tribes. 
After the clay lias been kneaded with bands and feet until such time as 
no more little particles are to be seen in the pliant mass, they first of all 
construct the base of the vessel, and then with the flattened hands prepare 
rolls of clay as thick as one’s finger: they join these to one another both 
by pressing them over with a little piece of wood that is always kept wet, 
as well as bv lunninnlating them. Bv squeezing together, or hv spreading 
out the mass, they know how to give the most varied shapes fo^ the vessel. 
When the clay has lost part of its moisture, they polish the outside with 
a smooth stone or a shell and sun-dry the article for some time. To bake 
the ware they dig holes in the ground, put the pots in them, surround 
