256 
Ouu Indians’ Eyes are ‘Doctored.’ 
752. The Taquiari, a spur of the Twasinki Range, even at a distance 
occupied our whole attention. Two mighty granite boulders that 
towered far above the dense masses of foliage surrounding them and 
from far off looked exactly like the large watch-towers of an old castle- 
ruin, lent the mountain quite a peculiarly romantic charm, and 
reminded me of the happy hours spent on my trip down the Rhine. And 
yet what a huge difference there is after all between these two streams. 
Over there every inch of land called to the wanderer “I am subordinate, 
subject to human intelligence.” Out here, however, Nature was loudly 
proclaiming in her unrestrained liberty, “I still rule with my original 
strength unimpaired.” Over there, break of day awakens the life that 
lias hardly fallen asleep, and what with boat pressing after boat, the 
splashing of the busy oars that beat time to the joyous matutinal greeting 
of the lark, and the half-hidden hamlets peeping pleasantly from out of 
the dark green of the vine-clad heights — there is but very little of Nature 
remaining to be seen anywhere. Over there, large two-masted ships 
push off from their anchorage and follow the old highway while the 
herdsmen drive their cattle, with tin 1 cheerily tinkling bells to the water, 
and the ruins of the Past either look down in sombre gloom from the 
mountain tops or else are reflected in the ever-youthful never-aging 
current: in short, civilisation yonder has spun a multiplicity of interests 
around human life and is prepared to lay Nature waste over a still wider 
area. But here? Everything the reverse. The eye searches in vain for 
testimony of creative human intelligence, of the transforming powers of 
man, but only recognises the works of Nature labouring with incon- 
ceivable prolixity; for here, even Man himself who is still the true image 
of her handiwork has not yet freed himself from her bonds, nor yet risen 
superior to her sway. 
753. The Taquiari or Comuti range receives its name from two 
remarkable columns formed of several granite boulders heaped on top 
of one another, and the one of which when quite close resembles an 
Indian water-jug, called Comuti by the Arawaks and Taquiari by the 
Caribs. Both columns commence about 150 feet below the highest 
pinnacle of the range which is somewhere about 800 feet high : the height 
of the Comuti rock* is 100 feet. On one of ihe columns are to be seen 
se\eral Indian sculptures which in regularity and symmetry surpass 
those of Waraputa. The Indians who came over here with us for the 
first time were seized with fear and trembling, because they recognised 
in these stony giants the haunts of an evil spirit, the demon who delights 
in other people's misfortunes, who would be vexed if they snatched a 
look at his “Belle Vue": their deaths in the next rapids for being so 
inquisitive would be due to his revenge. Nevertheless man's curiosity 
often braves certain death as soon as it is made possible for him to yield 
to its seductive temptations. Accordingly, directly we got near the 
mischief-making rocks a quantity of tobacco was sprinkled into the 
eyes of those who were visiting them for the first time. Naturally the 
* Comuti Mountain is composed of diabase, (E.E.W), 
