European Versus Indian Fashions. 
269 
else, not even by the beautiful drums painted with hieroglyphics that Mr. 
Goodall had found in one of the houses. When the magic song was 
heard anew my eye rambled around into the thickly-leaved tree from 
which it appeared to come, but in vain. 1 heard the lovely song, yet never 
saw the singer. 
775. I have already mentioned the really repulsive, depraved taste 
with which the Carib women bind the legs of their little girls while yet 
in their earliest infancy, both above and below the calves, so as to make 
these swell up to a size which makes them more than human. As the 
female sex here was already unusually big and corpulent, the calves 
naturally shared in the peculiarity of the body, without even requiring 
any artificial assistance, and the uncommonly abrupt diminution of 
size in these monstrous developments along the situations where the 
bands were tied accordingly appeared all the more repellent. It 
reminded me of the unnatural lacing of many a beautiful European 
woman who often by this means, and in accordance with the fashion, 
changes the natural human waist into that of a wasp. '/The covering, 
something like bathing-hose, for the hips, I also found generally in use 
among the women here. 
776. After our chieftain, now become so obliging, had brought out 
everything that he could spare, and we had taken everything that we 
required, and given him in exchange what he wanted, we continued on 
our journey up the Rupununi. The evenly high banks at the mouth 
already differed essentially here from one another, since at eveiy bend 
along which the current, hastened by the curvature, flowed past, it 
retained its previous height, while the opposite lying stretch of bank 
seemed fairly flat. Just as remarkable a difference was also displayed 
in connection with the vegetation. If the river for instance took a turn 
to the S.W. after having previously formed one to the N.E. the Psidium 
and tfamari-palms were always scarcer there and immediately made room 
in the bend for large foliage-trees, while these latter again disappeared 
in inverse ratio on the north-easterly bank and in the receding bend had 
completely given way to the /SWari-palms, so that both banks resembled 
two alternate curved lines, the rises of which consisted of foliage trees 
and the depressions of Sawari - palms and Psidium. 
777. An innumerable number of beautiful Hia-hia parrots ( Psittacus 
accipitrinus Linn.) and an equally large number of macaws enlivened the 
Sawari - palms around which they circled screeching enough to split one’s 
ears, whilst upon the outermost branches were perched whole families of 
indolent and sullen carrion-crows ( Cathartes aura 111.) with heads drawn 
in, wings idle, and not worrying themselves in any way over our approach. 
Our enjoyment of this varying and animated scene, which, even in the 
never-ceasing hustle of the feathered residents every moment presented 
fresh changes, was certainly sadly embittered by another likewise winged 
occupant of the riverside. Since the commencement of the first rapids 
all the mosquitoes had disappeared as if by a stroke of magic, while the 
raging and roaring torrents seemed to have driven off the remaining 
winged tormentors, for we had been able to look forward peacefully to the 
night and calmly to the morning. With the entrance into the Rupununi, 
