How the Kanaima Was Discovered. 
255 
period of his short remaining life, so that even should he succeed in 
reaching his village he is unable to name his murderer, for otherwise 
another kanaima might arise on behalf of this victim and a similar fate 
overtake the present one. I know from my own experience that the 
Indians carefully collect the fangs of the worst snakes, because during 
the course of our journey we could never kill any of these reptiles without 
their breaking them off and preserving them. 
745. I had personal proof as to how deeply this superstition is rooted 
in the Macusis, even after my return to the homeland in the case of a very 
intellectually gifted Indian who, absolutely on his own account, had 
accompanied mv brother to England, to learn all about the land of the 
Paranaghieris, and from there had come over with him to my father's 
home, where we brothers and sisters had foregathered once more after a 
long period of separation. Misseyari (= long hair) had an infinitely fond 
attachment for his only sister: for her he collected every bead, every bit 
of tinsel that he could get hold of. One day I came into his room and 
found him seated on the chair looking very sad and terribly upset. I 
asked him what was the matter and whether he was sick, but Misseyari 
shook his head, and after a long struggle told me that he had learnt that 
kanaima had come into his sister’s house that very night and had killed 
her and all her family, and that she would never now wear the beads that 
he had collected for her. When I enquired further whether he had dreamed 
all this, he said No, and the only answer I got to all my remaining 
questions was, that lie learnt it a few minutes ago: no one had told him, 
he had not dreamed it but he knew it had happened that very night, 
and he could not say anything further. 
746. As already mentioned, kanaima was of course also at Waraputa 
the cause of the dropsical boy’s death — but to discover now in which 
district the kanaima lives, the Indians practise an abominable custom 
which, as a witness of it, gave me an aw ful shudder. To the accom- 
paniment of an awe-inspiring monotonous song, the corpse was carried 
to an open space where, on the people forming a circle round it, the 
father cut off the thumb and fingers from each hand, the large and small 
toes from each foot, and a piece from each heel and threw the bits into a 
new pot filled with water. In the meantime a fire had been lighted near 
the corpse and the vessel placed on it. The water commenced to boil, 
and according to the side over the edge of which the boiling and bubbling 
water first threw the mortal remnants as they started bobbing up and 
down indicated the direction where the kanaima was hiding. There was 
something gruesome, something devilish about it tu see these copper- 
coloured individuals during the singing of the song of sorrow staring with 
steadfast gaze upon the prancing pieces to catch the very moment for 
the first one to be slithered over with the bubbles. Directly this occur- 
rence took place, it was notified by a yell that pierced one’s very marrow. 
One of the fingers had fallen over the brim on the western side of the 
pot, in the very direction whence the Indians had come. After long 
consultation they seemed to be of opinion that the kanaima must be 
living in their own village. After the boy’s spinal column, feet, and arms' 
had been broken, he was coiled up like a snake and squeezed into a 
